ROANOKE, VA – March is Women’s History Month, and while much progress has been made over the years, there’s still more to do, especially when it comes to women and domestic violence.
”Women have to justify their entire existence to justify the fact that this guy abused them,” co-founder of Domestic Abuse Disruption Trey Gregory said.
His goal? To turn victims into survivors.
“It’s just being there for them. Have somebody in your corner,” Gregory said.
That’s the mission of Domestic Abuse Disruption - or D.A.D.
Trey Gregory co-founded the organization 12 years ago and has helped more than 600 women escape situations of abuse.
“We’re not bodyguards; we’re escorts. We walk with them; we encourage them,” he said.
Gregory and co-founder Kenny Overstreet both had their view of domestic violence turned on its head after helping carry out a protective order.
“He and I thought at the time, as men, we knew what domestic abuse was. It was a man that hit a woman and that was pretty much the end of it,” Gregory said.
Gregory told 10 News that abuse victims are often isolated, something that can be made worse by COVID-19.
“They gradually move their way in to see what they can do to remove them from people,” he said.
One of the main functions of D.A.D is escorting women to and from court so they don’t have to face their abuser alone.
“I’ve had some that we’ve gone with 20, 30 times,” he said.
If you’re someone being abused and you’re scared to go to D.A.D’s website for fear of being caught by your abuser, there’s a safety net. Just click the red banner at the bottom of the screen, and you’re taken to another page, with no history of you ever visiting their website.”
The best part for Gregory? Seeing these women stand on their own.
“They are safe and the journey continues. You can see them sit up a little straighter, they start to walk in. I’ve even had one that finally told me, ‘I don’t need you to go this time.’ It’s like being a proud father,” he said.
To contact this organization, click here. Additionally, you can also contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline through their website, by phone at 1-800-799-7233 or by texting the word “START” to 88788.
If you’re in an emergency, always call 911 first.
