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From YouTube: FJC Survivor's Story - Sara (full)
Description
The Family Justice Center (FJC) is a safe place where victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and elder abuse can come for help. At the Buncombe County Family Justice Center, survivors can get access many different services in one location and begin their journey towards strength, safety, and hope.
You can visit the FJC at 35 Woodfin Street in downtown Asheville.
For more information about the Family Justice Center, visit https://www.buncombecounty.org/fjc
A
I
am
from
Denver
Colorado
and
about
five
years
ago,
got
involved
with
a
person
that
I
met
online
I
had
recently
been
in
a
car
accident
and
was
kind
of
struggling
the
relationship
developed
really
quickly
and
within
a
month
there
was
an
incident
of
violence.
I
thought
it
was
a
one-time
thing,
so
we
stayed
together
and
really
well,
rather
quickly.
Issues
of
control
and
an
isolation
begin
to
happen.
The
violence
became
more
frequent
and
the
police
were
involved.
I
really
think
at
the
beginning.
A
I
really
did
believe
that
things
could
be
different
after
that
first
incident
he
was
arrested
and
charged
with
assault
and
very
quickly
said
that
it
was
a
one-time
thing
that
he
needed
help,
but
he
knew
he
needed
help
and
followed
through
by
going
to
treatment
and
getting
help
and
so
I
I
think
I
really
did
have
a
belief.
I
thought
there
were
mental
health
issues
involved.
There
was
substance,
abuse
involved,
I
thought
that
if
those
things
were
taken
care
of
that
it
would
change.
A
That
was
not
the
case,
but
I
think
by
the
time
I
by
the
time,
I
really
realized
that
it
was
not
going
to
change
and
that
I
needed
to
get
out
I
had
no
one
else
in
my
life
to
help
me
do
that
I
was,
I
was
completely
isolated.
He
was
really
my
only
contact,
so
I
really
didn't
have
anywhere
to
go.
I
didn't
have
any
financial
support.
A
A
A
There
was
a
lot
of
emotions
that
were
involved
in
in
thinking
about
reaching
out
for
help
and
actually
reaching
out
for
help,
because
I
think
that
those
were
kind
of
two
different
things.
There
was
law
enforcement
involved,
I
think
there
was
really
a
gap
and
being
offered
help.
The
police
didn't
seem
to
be
able
to
help
me.
There
were
multiple
restraining
orders
and
multiple
violations
of
restraining
orders,
and
that
did
not
seem
to
make
a
difference.
In
fact,
it
actually
escalated.
A
The
level
of
violence
I
didn't
feel
like
that,
would
keep
me
safe,
so
I
didn't
trust
that
route
and
I
really
didn't
know
of
any
other
way
that
I
could
get
help.
I
didn't
even
know
how
to
talk
about
it.
So
I
didn't
know
what
kind
of
help
I
needed
and
I
really
wasn't
sure
that
there
was
anywhere
to
go.
If
I
could
go
back
in
time
and
and
tell
myself
or
give
myself
some
advice,
I
think
it
would
be
that
there
is
another
way
that
you
don't
have
to
live
like
this.
A
A
It
was
not
as
horrible
as
I
thought
it
would
be,
and
I
am
so
grateful
that
I
ended
up
in
a
place.
That
really
has
some
amazing
services
for
victims
and
survival.
Survivors
I
picked
up
the
phone
and
I
called
that
help
me.
Haul
hotline
and
a
wonderful
volunteer
answered
the
phone
and
pretty
much
just.
A
Counseling
education
support
group
got
me
established
with
that
address
confidentiality
program,
which
really
was
really
necessary
to
start
that
kind
of
journey
of
being
safe,
really
safe.
It
was
still
a
little
challenging
in
the
beginning.
I
had
to
reach
out
to
a
lot
of
different
places
and
tell
my
story
several
times,
but
I
did
feel
supported
and
really
cared
about
through
the
entire
process.
A
There
is
something
that
is
very
comforting
to
me
about
the
idea
of
one
safe
place,
a
place
where,
whether
whether
I'm
going
to
report
something
meet
with
somebody
have
therapy
ongoing
services,
you
know
the
idea
of
one
place.
One
system
trying
to
kind
of
holistically
help
a
person
and
is,
is
pretty
remarkable.