GoodLifeFamilyMag.com SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2018 55 KagerHoward Kager Howard swore she would never become a victim of domestic vio- lence. But she did. Kager heard about The Family Place from a volunteer while seeking counseling for her 12-year-old daughter, who had witnessed Kager being abused. Soon Kager began going to counseling as well and was a client at The Family Place’s Southern Dallas Counseling Center for two years. “The counselor was instrumental in helping me discover who I was and how to start loving myself. The group meetings were life changing,” she says. “Being able to talk to someone who understood without judgment created an atmosphere for self-growth, truth and healing.” One night in 2006, Kager had dinner with a friend and made plans to see her again the next weekend. When it came time to see her again, Kager could not reach her—her friend’s ex-husband had killed her the night after they had dinner. “Her death devastated me and caused me to shut down for several years thinking I could have done more,” Kager says. “I no longer walk in shame or fear, but I choose to speak out in hope that my story can influence others to make the decision to get out before it's too late.” Kager is now a member of The Family Place’s Ladies of Leadership and says the group has been instrumental in helping her overcome the fear of speaking publicly against domestic violence.  “I am forever grateful to The Family Place for inspiring my desire to help victims of domestic violence Get Out, Stay Out and Pay Out,” she says. “We do this by healing ourselves and others and not becoming victims again.” “We learned that there was a light at the end of the tunnel and that we weren’t alone.” - Hope Woodson HopeWoodson AfterHopeWoodsonleftherabusivemarriage,herson’sbehaviorchanged drastically. His grades started slipping, and his behavior worsened at home and school. He had outbursts where he became extremely sad and then lashed out in anger. Hope called The Family Place after seeing a news sto- ry where their counselors assisted a young man having similar issues, and she and her children started coming to one-on-one and group counseling sessions. “We learned how to express ourselves without anger and how to chan- nel feelings of sadness and uncertainty. Most importantly, we learned that there was a light at the end of the tunnel and that we weren’t alone,” Hope says. “It wasn’t easy at first, but sharing my truth with women who had gone through similar experiences gave me confidence, strength and encourage- ment.” Today, Hope’s son is an 8th grader who is excelling in school and plays three sports. Hope is a member of The Family Place’s Ladies of Leadership, a group of survivors-turned-advocates who volunteer and share their ex- periences at various community events. She is also serving on The Family Place Partners Auxiliary Board for 2018. “I couldn’t be more excited and proud of this opportunity to serve an or- ganization that has positively impacted and transformed my life,” she says. PARTNERS CARD SUPPORTS THE FAMILY PLACE Partners Card is the largest fundraiser for The Family Place, and 100% of purchases support survivors of domestic abuse. From Friday, October 26 – Sunday, November 4, shop at over 750 participating stores and restaurants in DFW and save 20%, while also supporting The Family Place. You can order your card online at familyplace.org/partners-card or pick one up at Tom Thumb, Albertson’s or a participating retailer. Good Life Family is a proud media sponsor of Partners Card. Go to goodLIFEfamilymag.com or familyplace.org for more details. “I choose to speak out in hope that my story can influence others to make the decision to get out before it's too late.” - Kager Howard