Some survivors of family violence are prisoners in their own homes, just like some communities are prisoners in their own neighborhoods, isolated. Fear and isolation imprison families and whole communities without walls. Failure to allow women, men and youths access and opportunity to work that earns a living wage, that affords decent child care, a home in a safe neighborhood, dependable transportation is violence. Failure to create a safe place for dialogue and discourse and, yes, strong disagreement is violence to the soul of an individual, a family and a community. We cannot enforce peace at home, we must live peace, learn peace, talk peace and act peacefully.
Peace is the rightful result of love.
CASA is the grateful recipient of individual and collective love from individuals and the community. It takes a community to stop domestic violence. We appreciate the Thanksgiving turkeys and the holiday gifts that demonstrate the caring spirit of the community. Some generous donors have planned to give to CASA in perpetuity through a will or trust account. CASA has a dream that someday we will have an endowment sufficiently large to guarantee that there will always be services for victims of family violence in Pinellas County.