The organization will help women make safety plans and connect them with support services. The women who call are cautious, Paula says. And I understand. I remember the first time I called and told my family. I felt I'd betrayed my husband.
Many calls are from families worried about their female family members overseas.
AWOS operates with 14 volunteers around the world, and Paula continues to seek money to continue its vital work. A recent fund-raiser was unsuccessful, but the organization has had nationwide publicity, Paula says. Funding is difficult, partly because we're so new. Recently remarried and working part time, Paula is the driving force behind AWOS and is dedicated to seeing the organization grow. She has gone public with her private story to give American women in similar situations the hope and courage to escape the violence in their lives.