Safe Harbor Legal Advocate, Rita Wearbon, talks about her work in helping victims to obtain an Order of Protection.
As members of Safe Harbor’s staff, we’re often asked by community members: “What motivates you to do this type of work? Isn’t it hard? Heartbreaking? Frustrating at times?”
To answer their question simply: “Yes.”
Yes, working at Safe Harbor is not easy. Sometimes, this work is stressful and heartbreaking. We see suffering and injustice every day. We are haunted by the stories we hear. We are familiar with the feelings of defeat and frustration as we walk alongside of those who face overwhelming obstacles and barriers each day.
At the same time, however, this work is beautiful and life-giving. We do it because we believe in hope, in change, in transformation. We see hope and resilience in our clients and their children as they take those courageous and complicated steps towards starting a new life. We also have the opportunity to influence and push towards those gradual societal changes and attitude shifts that we truly believe will start to alleviate violence and abuse in our community.
In this short video, our Legal Advocate, Rita Wearbon, speaks about the satisfaction that she experiences when she is able to successfully help a client to feel a sense of safety and peace of mind through obtaining an Order of Protection. She says, “I walk away with a sense of satisfaction…satisfaction in knowing that one more person will be able to go home tonight…and be safe.”
This is what motivates us at Safe Harbor – the ability to change lives and systems, one step at a time.
