Angie Parlee of Sussex Area Domestic Violence Outreach was our first guest speaker of the new Rotary year. Angie shared the harrowing story of just how wide and deep an impact domestic violence has on families in the area, many of whom turn to her organization in desperate circumstances and often after multiple, previously unsuccessful attempts to leave their abusive situations.
Angie, a survivor of abuse herself, shared the courage it takes to seek such help and the difficult road that still lies ahead for such survivors even after they seek it. Many have to rebuild their lives from scratch, navigating family courts, the RCMP and dire financial straits, and Sussex Area Domestic Violence Outreach offers critical help in that process for women and their families.