PADV celebrates 35 years!

Before 1975, battered Atlanta women, bruised and bleeding, would show up on the front stoop of their doctor's office or the home of one of their friends pleading for help. There were no local crisis lines or emergency shelters. There was no public education or advocacy for the rights of survivors. Moreover, there was a dearth of information about domestic violence and a reluctance to talk openly about the issue. That was then.

Thirty-five years later, PADV operates the only state-certified domestic violence shelters in Fulton and Gwinnett Counties and offers a variety of services including: two 24-hour crisis lines; long-term housing; support groups; legal advocacy; corporate and community education; public awareness events and a teen dating violence prevention program. PADV is also the only local organization to offer Face-to-Face®, a program that provides free facial reconstructive and dentistry services to survivors who have sustained permanent injuries and scars from the neck up.

Susan May, one of PADV's founders, is a quiet and unassuming woman, but not one to be underestimated. Armed with conviction and compassion, she took on the social injustice of domestic violence. In 1975, May was answering the resource line at the YWCA Women's Center in Atlanta. Most callers wanted information on how to file a work discrimination claim or the location of a women's bookstore. But some callers would ask if they would spend the night at the Y. A typical comment was, "My husband said he'd really get me this time and I want to be out of the house when he gets off work." There was no place for these women and their children to turn to for help.

Under May's leadership, a small handful of women began meeting every two weeks to share what they knew about domestic violence. They realized that creating a safe place for battered women was a critical first step.

They formed the YWCA Task Force on Battered Women and established a crisis line separate from the YWCA Women's Center. In its first month, they received 150 calls. Today, PADV fields nearly half that many calls in one day.

Shortly thereafter, the group broke away from the YWCA and incorporated under the name Council on Battered Women (CBW). They opened Fulton County's first emergency shelter in 1978, which was the fifth in the nation.

Ten years later, the Gwinnett shelter opened. In 1997, CBW changed its name to Partnership Against Domestic Violence and adopted the current mission: supporting women and their children in their efforts to live violence free.

"In the early days, we had a great response from the community. Most were sympathetic and supported our efforts to help these women," said Susan May. "But advocating for women's rights was a challenge. There were some who thought a woman's place was in the home and even a few who accused us of being home wreckers."

What began as a grassroots movement 35 years ago has become the state's largest domestic violence organization. Today, PADV supports thousands of battered women and their children in metro Atlanta through violence prevention, emergency intervention and long-term advocacy every year.

"Thirty-five years later we know that domestic violence is a costly, insidious problem. We know it's a crime that affects each of us in some way - broken families and lost hope," said May. "And that's why I'm profoundly gratified that PADV is there to help these women and children."

PADV is indebted to Susan May, Margaret Curtis, Lizanne Stephenson, Margaret Nichols, Ethel Smith and Coni Conway Carter for their dedication, drive and determination. They and many others have left a lasting legacy through PADV. Thank you.

Council on Battered Women		Partnership Against Domestic Violence