ROUND ROCK, Texas — Stories have power, a power Courtney Petersen once did not have when, back in 2016, someone else had power over her.
“There was a time where he just shoved me and pushed me into a door and I cut the back of my head,” said Petersen, a domestic violence survivor. “And that's kind of the first instance that I can remember.”
It was the first time she was physically abused by her husband of less than a year, who was a Round Rock police officer at the time. But following another instance where Petersen was abused, he ended up on the other side of the law.
“He ended up getting arrested because of a face print that was on the bed, which was my face, my makeup and my blood on the bed, from him choking me and me biting through my lip,” said Petersen.
It took time for Petersen to realize she was not at fault for the abuse, even after the arrest. This is why shared her story in a book that was published last year and through a lipstick line aimed at spreading domestic violence awareness, with stories and resources printed in each box.
“It’s 10 women's stories of what they went through and what made them leave and what circumstances allowed them to leave and what do they want other women to know,” said Petersen of the women represented in her lipstick line.
One of the resources listed in each lipstick box is Hope Alliance in Williamson County, which is where Petersen received help, along with many other people.
“One in three people will be affected by domestic violence,” said Lesa Cantrell, the vice president of resource development at Hope Alliance.
Cantrell said they are seeing an increasing number of calls for help from people experiencing domestic and sexual violence.
In 2021, they received 3,178 hotline calls, 446 online chat requests, served 1,086 clients other than calls or chats, and 196 people spent time in their emergency shelter. Cantrell said there are more people that need shelter, but they are having a hard time keeping up with growth in the area, as they are the only agency in Williamson County that has an emergency shelter and a standalone counseling center. The demand is especially high at the emergency shelter.
“So, for every one person we serve right now, we're turning one away,” said Cantrell. “So we need a bigger facility to house more clients.
As Hope Alliance is working to build a bigger facility, Petersen is working to keep spreading her story in order to empower others and let them know better chapters are ahead.
Hope Alliance has two upcoming fundraisers that you can learn about here.
If you are in need of help, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is 800-799-7233. The hotline at Hope Alliance is 1-800-460-7233.
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