For me, it’s personal.

Domestic violence is something we should talk about all year long.

Do you ever think about how much you learn from other people’s stories? Growing up, I heard lots of stories about my family. 

For my mother - the only girl in a family of eight children - she often characterized my maternal grandmother as a fighter. And for a long time, l didn’t realize she meant figuratively and literally. 

You see, my maternal grandmother was a survivor of domestic violence. For her, the story began almost immediately after she left her family in London as a young newlywed and traveled by ship to a new life in Canada. She raised concerns with her parents, and true to the times they told her he was a “good” man and not to worry. What unfolded from there was years of abuse that ultimately ended in my grandmother willingly putting her eight children into foster care and having my grandfather arrested. Yes. During a time when women were expected to be the dutiful wife, my brave grandmother took control of her future and her children’s. 

After that, my fearless and resilient grandmother put herself through college and became a teacher. She brought her family back together and created an environment where they could prosper. 

This story. Her story. It’s the story of too many.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. And as we approach the end of it, I’ve been struck by the stories I continue to hear. Stories of people pushing through terrible trauma to bring themselves and the people around them into a better place. 

I’m also really proud of the megaphone my company, Verizon, has used to raise awareness, educate our employees and empower the communities we serve. We provide grants to leading nonprofit organizations. Offer special services for customers. And provide employees 24-hour assistance.

Yet it still doesn’t feel like enough. I believe we must give people the resources and tools to think differently about healthy families and communities. And that starts with sharing our stories not just this month, but every day.

Tami