October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and I know firsthand that speaking up is not easy. For so many of us, millions actually, the hardest part is not just what happened behind closed doors, but the silence, the isolation, and the feeling that nobody sees what we are carrying. I said it because I mean it: if you feel alone, you are not alone. 

This is bigger than one story. Survivors in every community need real support when they are trying to get safe, stay safe, and rebuild their lives. Too many people are trapped because they do not have a safe place to go, enough financial help to leave, or just have no where to begin. Awareness matters, but awareness without action leaves people standing in the same fear and uncertainty.

That is why I am calling on state leaders to fund safe housing, emergency shelter, counseling, legal support, and survivor services in every community. Survivors should not have to choose between abuse and homelessness, between silence and instability. If we truly care about domestic violence awareness, then we need to back it up with policies and funding that give people a real path to safety and healing.

If you believe no one should have to face this alone, please sign. Help us make sure that when someone is ready to leave, there is somewhere safe to go and real support waiting for them.