On average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States.

Domestic violence occurs much more often than most Americans would like to admit. Although it is an unsavory subject, I believe it is something we should work on starting a dialogue about. I have worked for several volunteering agencies, but working in a domestic violence shelter was a memorable experience I will take with me. I can’t disclose where the shelter was for safety and privacy of the woman who lived there. Essentially, my job was to come into the daycare center of the shelter. I would play with and watch the younger girls ranging from ages 3-9. The first day I walked up to the shelter and there was a shift in the air. I could feel the nervous tension as I walked into the building. This was definitely a transition place because the uncertainty was very apparent. I walked into the child care area and I was briefed on what we should do with the girls. Then there was a knock at the door. In walked a group of young excited and giggling girls. The smallest one in front had a big smile on her face, and without hesitation, she ran up to me and wrapped her arms around me. I started to well up, but I was not going to cry in front of these girls. The girls had overcome so much and still were so happy, silly and playful.

Every week when I came in, they would say the funniest things. They also looked out for one another. I was talking to one of the younger girls and she was explaining a dream she had to me. She described herself in a huge body of water. Her house was in one hand, and her family in the other. The water was rising and she was struggling to keep her head above the water. It was then that I realized that this was an issue that cannot be ignored simply because it is challenging to discuss. A child that young should not have to worry about her family’s safety or her home’s safety. The situation can be bleak but never helpless.

In modern society, our lives become all about ourselves and what we need. Honestly taking a step back and helping others has always made me feel much happier and fulfilled. The reality is that domestic violence agencies need more people. There are long waits for the emergency hotline because there are not enough agents. Helping others and being a confidant of an adorable 5-year-old isn’t a bad gig. All of this time and effort wasn’t just externalized, the optimism that these girls had furthered my own goals.

“Doing nothing for others is the undoing of ourselves.”