Abigail’s Place is likely something folks of Bosque County have never heard of but maybe should. With October being Domestic Violence Awareness month it’s important their existence be known and shared.
Bosque County is an amazing rural county, but with being rural, it lacks resources in many ways. Mental health, domestic violence, services for military veterans, homelessness, and crime victim assistance are among some of the services the county needs.
Two childhood friends who moved away reunited back in Bosque County in 2018. Sarina Ozuna and Karath Pruett reconnected after their abusive relationships directed them back where their journey in life began. Both hesitant to bring anyone into their lives after the toxic relationships they just escaped from, finally reconnected, and learned of each other’s abusive relationships.
“Once you’ve finally escaped the abuse, you don’t want to let people in very easily,” Ozuna said.
Learning they each had children while in abusive relationships was another haunting similarity they shared. Finding each other created a bond in which healing could finally begin, Ozuna said.
Healing each other and raising their children to break the cycle and thrive was a hurdle they began tackling together.
“The journey will never be over, but it continues to open doors to new beginnings and creating healthy lifestyles,” Ozuna said.
Ozuna said most women with children live in fear their abuser, Child Protective Services, or someone else might take their child if it was known they needed a place to go to escape. Abusers slowly disconnect their victims from everyone and everything they know, until they have nobody left to reach out to. Often victims believe it’s their own fault they’ve been abused physically or mentally because they’ve been made to believe they should have known the abuse would happen.
Ozuna said it wasn’t until she cut off her abuser completely and found a group online for abused women that she began to heal and gain the strength to carry on as a single mother.
“A stranger all the way from Main saved me, and to this day I’ve never met her in person. Finding someone who didn’t ask me why I stayed, but instead, asked me why he put his hands on me was exactly what I needed to hear. Judgment was not what I needed, but it’s what people always seem to respond with,” Ozuna said.
What Ozuna and Pruett quickly learned in their own journey of survival, was not only did Bosque County not have resources to help them escape, but all surrounding counties including Waco, had waiting lists or offered no help at all.
They decided to start the “Abigail’s Place-Bosque County” Facebook group which is a private group designed to be a safe place for women to vent, reach out for help, or learn where resources may be to help them escape.
Starting Abigail’s Place opened their eyes to the vast variety of ways a person can be abused, Ozuna said. Giving women a safe anonymous place, they can communicate is sometimes the one thing they need to escape and begin to heal.
When asked where the name Abigail’s Place came from Ozuna said, “It’s from the bible. We chose her because she was young and married to a much older man. In scripture he was described as very mean, some scholars believed she was abused. She stood out for a number of reasons, but when her husband Nabal refused to provide food and shelter and cast insults at David while on the run from Saul (1 Samuel 25), Abigail sent an abundance of food and asked David not to do anything rash in regard to Nabal. Nabal died from the hands of the lord a few days later, and Abigail married David. David was something of a prince, which is what every survivor wishes for in the end.”
After Abigail’s Place group began to grow, Abigail’s place was featured on a Waco news station and ran a story on their group. Ozuna said after the story the group began to grow rapidly and phone calls began coming in regularly. They had people reach out to offer assistance, which Ozuna said was extremely helpful especially when people needed a hotel, gas, a tire fixed to get away, groceries, among other things.
Abigail’s Place saw a spike in outreach after COVID-19, which Ozuna said wasn’t surprising since mental health plays a vital role in abuse.
Ozuna said it wasn’t long before they were in need of another person to ensure if someone needed help they were able to be available. Elisabeth Williams, who is a domestic violence survivor, was added to their team and has played a vital role in their program.
Their growing team continues to voice the importance of mental health and domestic violence. They network with other organizations far away and local. Ozuna said they are based in Bosque County, but they help anyone who contacts them.
Their dedication is more than just being an ear or a resource, they continue to educate their team by attending training events, getting Mental Health First Aid Certifications and much more. We continue to grow and reach women daily.
“A woman’s self-esteem, self-image, and self-confidence are greatly enhanced as she learns her purpose and that she can heal. Which in turn makes her a better mother, wife, sister, and friend,” is what is proudly displayed at the top of the Abigail’s Place website.
If you or someone you know is suffering abuse, or needs a starting or ending point, reach out to Abigail’s Place. Their mission is to heal and empower women in various stages of their life. Their resources and support are also extended to men abused by women.
Abigail’s Place is always open to anyone who would like to donate or help in other ways.
Find them on Facebook under Abigail’s Place – Bosque County, email at [email protected], call 254-253-1100, or visit their website at www.aplacebc.us
