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Paula and her children lived in the Middle East, where they suffered horrible abuse by her former husband. Paula successfully escaped with her children and returned to the U.S. Had her husband or his family caught her, she would have been imprisoned and would have never seen her children again. Having to fight in the U.S. to retain legal custody of her own children, Paula learned that no programs existed to assist American citizens wishing to repatriate, particularly women leaving abusive marriages overseas.
Paula and her kids returned to America in poverty, literally starting over with nothing. During this time, she formulated what would become a resource for American women who live overseas and are victims of domestic violence: the American Domestic Violence Crises Line. Paula worked nights to support her sons and days to build up her organization. Within a few years, Paula’s organization became the only one in the world with an International Toll Free Crisis Hotline: 866-USWOMEN. The program is a lifeline. In 2006, the American Domestic Crises Line received 1281 crisis calls and e-mails from families in crises overseas. In response, the organization provided domestic violence advocacy, safety planning, case management, and information and referrals to 258 families in 47 countries via the international toll free hotline. Paula’s efforts led to the repatriation of fourteen families fleeing domestic violence trans-nationally; placed a second family into the organization’s self-sufficiency transitional housing program; provided nineteen abuse victims with professional counseling; and paid for four legal retainers, enabling battered mothers to file for custody of their children in the United States. Additionally, a team of dedicated volunteer crisis line advocates volunteered 3,849 hours on the crisis line.
According to the Association of Americans Resident Overseas, 4.1 million Americans, excluding the military, live overseas. Unofficial estimates reach 5-6 million. Paula’s team estimates that domestic violence against American women and their children overseas mirrors patterns experienced in the U.S.––impacting 1 to 1.4% of the population. American Domestic Violence Crises Line is currently the only organization to serve the estimated 41,000 to 57,400 American women and children abused per year overseas.
Paula may seem like an “ordinary” person, but she has shown extraordinary courage overcoming adversity. She has also shown extraordinary commitment to the American women trapped overseas in abusive relationships. She is also a survivor of cancer, having been diagnosed with it less than 1 year upon her return to America. But Paula not only survived an abusive marriage, poverty, and illness, she also took action to bring about change, to protect her children, to heal, and now help other women in similar dire situations. Paula may seem small in stature, but she is a mighty defender of abused women and their children.
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