Down a hill and in the trees, under a canopy of dappled sunlight, the Circle of Love Center looks like a tidy little home in the suburbs. The driveway is framed by a knoll of freshly-mulched weeping willow trees. Out back by the playground is a courtyard of irises and a rosemary shrub the size of a Volkswagen.
Contrast what you see outside with what's going on inside the center. Not as pretty a picture.
The residents here are victims of domestic violence. And each of them has the grueling task of putting the pieces of their family's lives back together.
Serving more than 6,000 victims and their children since its inception, the center's executive director, Tyra Martin, says last year alone 187 families came through the doors of Circle of Love, looking for shelter from abusive relationships, using the center's resources to find new jobs, new lodging and counseling.
One woman--after years of mental and emotional abuse--was so belittled she couldn't even shop for groceries. The staff patiently re-taught her all the daily activities she needed to survive. Eventually, she found a decent job and even found love with a new co-worker.
What moved me the most was learning that the center was born from a hideous crime; in 1991 a man shot himself, his wife and his two children in front of the Union Point Police Department. Evidence surfaced that the woman had tried on many occasions to find help.
That, and the tragedies of the other women Circle of Love serves, gave birth to their motto, "Love shouldn't hurt."
Circle of Love Center, Inc.
P.O. Box 641
Greensboro, Ga.
706-453-4017
Thursday, March 18, 2010
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