*This article talks about domestic violence. Please be advised when reading.*
I was first exposed to the terrors of domestic violence through a film I watched when I was about 12 years old. It was a scene that, to this day, remains imprinted in my mind. Years later, I struggle to grapple with the idea of brutality, with the idea that people are capable of such seemingly inhumane acts. It is devastating…and it triggers something so unimaginably intense – a sort of passion that prompts me to want to eradicate this injustice in whatever way I can.
According to the National Center for Children in Poverty, “among mothers with children experiencing homelessness, more than 80% had previously experienced domestic violence.” The interconnectedness between the prevalence of unhoused, vulnerable, and abused populations is profound; unfortunately, many socioeconomic and political barriers continue to persist and have allowed these problems to fester. Living in a country in which tens of millions live below the poverty line, I’d thought I’d have a more staggering sense of awareness of the plights they face on a daily basis. When I got to college, it became my goal to seek out ways in which I could better understand and address these issues at the grassroots level. After gaining a foothold in a community service organization at Texas A&M University, I began to uncover the immense potential of local non-profits and eventually came across Twin City Mission. I was immediately engaged.
Twin City Mission, located in Bryan, TX, was established in 1963 and originally served as a shelter for homeless men. Over the decades, this non-profit has expanded its programs to encompass and address a wider range of “existing, identified needs,” such as homelessness and domestic violence, catering to highly underserved and vulnerable communities. I recently reached out and was able to learn more about how we could serve and make tangible change at the local level. In my brief phone call with their representative, I understood the gravity of the trauma many clients of Twin City experience. Within the first several minutes, it became apparent the value that this non-profit holds for so many within the Bryan-College Station area – for supporters and survivors alike.
Now, with our first volunteering event just around the corner, I feel incredible gratitude for the empowering vision that this non-profit embodies. True, selfless service presents itself in many forms, and I believe Twin City Mission serves through the compassion it has and the hope it instills in those who need it most in Bryan.