By Phil McLendon, Owner of Absolute Moving Services
People call a moving company for all kinds of reasons. A new job. A bigger house. A fresh start in a new city. Some calls are different. Some come from someone who has decided they can’t stay in a violent home for one more day.
Those calls are why my team and I are so passionate about standing with victims and survivors of domestic violence here in Memphis and the Mid-South. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and I want to talk about why this matters to all of us. Then I want to ask you to do something about it.
Why a moving company cares
For a lot of people, the hardest part of leaving isn’t deciding to go. It’s the how. How do I get my kids’ things out? Where will we sleep? What if he finds out before we’re gone?
Over the years we have helped dozens of women and children leave homes where they felt hopeless and forgotten. There is no greater reward than seeing their faces light up once we get them and their belongings to safety.
Here is what we do:
- We keep it discreet. We take extra measures to protect your safety and your privacy, and over the years we’ve built a way of moving people safely and quietly.
- You won’t start over with nothing. If you’re worried about leaving with only the clothes on your back, we have beds, furniture and other household items that we will give you free of charge.
- We connect you with help. We work with people who can help with shelter, food, clothing, diapers, you name it.
All you have to do is take that first step and give us the green light. We know this may be the scariest decision you have ever made. We will walk with you through it every step of the way.
Why this is everyone’s issue
Domestic violence isn’t a problem that only happens to other people. According to the CDC, more than 1 in 3 women and more than 1 in 6 men in the United States have experienced sexual violence, physical violence or stalking by an intimate partner. About 1 in 5 homicide victims is killed by an intimate partner. Here at home, Tennessee has ranked among the ten worst states for women killed by men in the Violence Policy Center’s yearly study.
Those numbers are our neighbors, our coworkers, the families in the pew next to us and the parents in the car line at school. Most of them aren’t talking about it. Silence is what lets abuse keep going, and it’s why we keep saying #ShatterTheSilence.
Our challenge to you this October
The Absolute team is challenging every client, friend and follower to do at least one thing this month for the people and organizations fighting domestic violence. Pick one. Pick three. Just don’t pick none.
- Give to a local organization. Groups like the Family Safety Center of Memphis and Shelby County and the YWCA of Greater Memphis help survivors every day. A gift of any size helps.
- Donate what’s needed, the right way. Call or check their website first to ask what they need right now. Shelter locations are kept confidential for good reason, so don’t drop items off unannounced.
- Give your time or your skills. Ask how you can volunteer. Businesses can offer services too. If you have a trade, someone leaving with nothing may need it.
- Save the numbers. Put the hotlines below in your phone today. You may never need them, but someone you love might.
- Learn to listen. If someone opens up to you, start with “I believe you” and “It’s not your fault.” You don’t have to fix everything. You just have to not look away.
- Speak up. Share this post and tell people what you did, using #ShatterTheSilence. Every share reaches someone who needed to know they aren’t alone.
If you need help right now
If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
- National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233, or text START to 88788 (24 hours)
- Family Safety Center of Memphis and Shelby County: 901-249-7611 (24 hours)
- YWCA of Greater Memphis crisis line: 901-725-4277 (24 hours)
- Absolute Moving Services: 901-304-3470. Call or message us, and we’ll take it from there with care and discretion.
If you’re worried someone checks your phone or computer, reach out from a device they can’t get to, like a friend’s phone or a library computer.
To the ones we’ve helped
To those of you we’ve helped over the years who still reach out and check in with us: you know who you are. We are so proud of you. Your strength, your courage and your resilience inspire us to keep going, and it brings us so much joy to watch you blossom.
And to our friends, clients and followers who have stood by us on this mission, thank you. We couldn’t do it without you.
Together, we will #ShatterTheSilence on domestic violence.
Phil McLendon
Owner, Absolute Moving Services