American Overseas Domestic Violence Crisis Center - New Name

Hi Everyone, One of our home page feature articles this month is the Expat Confession: Domestic Violence Abroad. In that feature, we named The American Overseas Domestic Violence Crisis Center as a suggested resource.

Just confirming that yes, this is the new name for the American Domestic Violence Crisis Line, founded by one of our previous Success Story interviewees, Paula Lucas. Thanks.

PS. They are looking for volunteers who can attend training in Portland, Oregon, September 12-13. For more details, click here.

Please Help The American Domestic Violence Crisis Line

Hi Everyone, You may recall that one of our Expat Women Success Stories last year was Paula Lucas, the brave and determined woman who founded the American Domestic Violence Crisis Line.

For 14 years, Paula lived what looked like an ideal life overseas in the UAE: A Newsweek photojournalist husband, worldwide travel, a successful advertising, marketing and PR business and three beautiful sons. She also hid a terrible secret: the children suffered severe child abuse and Paula, horrific domestic violence, at the hands of her husband. Her husband threatened to kill her and the children during increasingly violent rages. Her pleas to the American Embassy and the State Department were futile. Finally her chance to escape materialized, thanks to a thief...
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Well, I met the wonderful Paula in person recently at the Families in Global Transition Conference in Houston and I promised her that I would help her to spread the word further about the much-needed crisis line that she runs.

How can you help? If you are involved in a expat club/association or international school, or you write a blog, or you run an expat-related division in your company - or you are involved in any way with American expats, please help spread the word of this important crisis line service. Mention it in your newsletter, put a link in the 'useful links' section of your website/blog, tell people in your local meetings, help in any way you can to 'spread the word' please... as you never know who you might be helping... or saving.

Want to give financially? All donations help. For example:

US$50: Provides 20 minutes of toll charges on the crisis line

US$100: Provides 8 hours for a crisis line advocate to help domestic violence and child abuse victims

US$200: Provides materials to train 10 crisis line volunteers in their bi-annual 30-hour training

Any way that you might be able to help would be appreciated by Paula and her small team.

Many thanks in advance, Andrea.