“In Her Shoes” with Genesis. Photo by Victoria Hernandez.
Two to three times a year for over a decade, volunteers, board members and staff of Genesis Women’s Shelter and Support come together for the “In Her Shoes” experience. This month’s experience lands during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, in the state where 1 in 3 women will experience abusive behavior in their lifetime.
“In Her Shoes” is an interactive event where individuals think, act and simulate the choices that a person experiencing an abusive relationship makes every day, chief clinical officer Ruth Guerreiro said.
“Participants are given a real-life scenario based on a real survivor’s story, and they walk through decisions about their safety – everything from whether to tell family and friends, to seeking help from their church, to calling the police, to protecting their children,” she said.
This morning, director of community engagement Nicole Berg led a group of about 20 who ran through the choices from seeking shelter to turning to clergy to meeting in a support group during the experimental learning format. For Oak Cliff, if someone is experiencing domestic violence, there is the Genesis at South Oak Cliff (GSOC) location in the neighborhood that may be the resource they need.
Amy Norton, chief development officer for Genesis, said that a few years ago the organization expanded because they found that the 75216 ZIP code and surrounding areas had the highest rates of domestic violence in Dallas County.
By creating the GSOC location, there is individual and group counseling for victims of domestic violence along with on-site childcare.
“She knows her children are safe and having fun in our childcare room while she might be involved in individual or group counseling,” Norton said. “We have advocates on site who are ready to help her with what we might consider to be more basic needs.”
Additionally, the location can help connect survivors to emergency shelter, legal advocacy to assist with protective orders and legal resources, case management to help navigate housing, employment and community education on violence prevention.
At no cost, no strings attached these resources are available to women and children who might be ready to take their first steps toward hope and healing, Norton said.
Needs are evaluated on a case by case basis, sometimes making arrangements to transfer to another location for emergency shelter or working with community partners. Norton said that GSOC works closely with groups and faith communities that are already taking a stand and working with survivors.
“We will continue building trust,” Norton said. “But we know and understand it’s going to take time. Domestic violence in general is hard to talk about, no matter where you live or what you’re coming from.”
As the “In Her Shoes” exercise winded down, participants gathered in a circle to discuss what barriers they came across walking through victims’ stories.
“Genesis hosts ‘In Her Shoes’ because we want attendees to understand the complexities of domestic violence, the role that community (including family, friends, shelters, police and more) plays in supporting survivors, and how difficult it can be to find help,” Guerreiro said. “Participants often say they come away with more empathy for survivors’ experiences.”
Esther Moran highlighted Lucy’s story, a Vietnamese woman who had contacted the police, but because more than four hours had passed when her abuser returned there was nothing law enforcement could do.
“All of that is just so agitating, and then to add the layer of her being Vietnamese and not having the support or people just understanding her culture,” Moran said. “Yeah, if I had been in her shoes, I probably would sit in my car and cry, and hope that some miracle would happen and it would all go away.”
Berg followed that statement, saying that no matter race or socioeconomic status, you never know who around you is going through it.
For those needing support, call or text the Genesis 24-hour helpline at 214-946- 4357 or visit their website.
Genesis at South Oak Cliff is located at 5020 S Lancaster Road.
