Family violence prevention month
Posted Nov 6, 2011 3:36 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
63 per cent of Calgarians say they or someone they know has experienced abuse.
Marvie Giordano shares her story about living in an abusive relationship and how with support from family and the Calgary Women’s Shelter she was able to walk away and begin a new life.
She lived in paralyzing fear for herself and her children and she knew she had to leave because things would probably get a lot worse.
With encouragement from family and friends she left with her children and found support at the womens shelter.
“When we went to the shelter it was a chance to catch our breath.”
Although she says telling her story is not an easy thing for her to do, “This is the first step for me as far as speaking out because that has always been a difficult thing for me and it’s time. Anything that I might be able to do, if it can help one person, then it’s worth it.”
Giordano stresses the importance of offering support to anyone who may be going through a similar situation.
She says, “I know that so many people are struggling and we all need to know we are not alone. That it can be better that there is hope, it’s the awareness, it changed my life.”
Today Giordano is a successful business owner, running her furniture shop, “The Consignment Gallery.”
