Supporting Quigley House: Getting Free and Staying that Way

Many women have experienced domestic violence or sexual assault at some point during their lives. Sometimes, we tell others – if we feel we can safely receive help. Other times, things remain hidden, unspoken, becoming a secret that will affect that person for the rest of their life – and perhaps the lives of their children and their children’s children.

Generations of families have lived this ugly statistic, leading to fewer educational opportunities, alcoholism, drug usage, the breakup of families and friendships, and endless trauma. Most of the women you know have a story that will make you shudder. Most have more than one.

Stories like these are all too familiar to Jennifer Rodriguez, chief executive officer of Quigley House, the certified domestic assault center in Clay County. Quigley House was the June recipient of the Atlantic Cares program donation given monthly by Atlantic Logistics.

“The rates of domestic violence and sexual assault are outrageous,” Rodriguez said in a recent interview. “One out of every four women experience sexual violence, and one out of every three experience domestic violence.” One in seven men also will experience physical violence from their partner during their lifetime.

As Rodriguez pointed out, it’s a crime that is underreported, so the Atlantic Cares donation is important. “We can’t fight it without people and organizations in the community embracing us and offering us that additional layer of support,” she emphasized.

“Giving back to the community – helping our neighbors – is simply a facet of how we operate as a business. Everyone has their business objectives, but if we aren’t lifting each other up along the way and doing whatever good we can, we’re not living up to our potential. Domestic violence and sexual assault are debilitating. It’s extremely difficult to better your family’s situation when you’re in survival mode at all times. We hope our donation will help bolster the support and lifeline Quigley offers to so many Clay County residents,” said Marketing Director James Crichlow

The organization’s current mission is to educate, equip and empower survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault while providing community education to build awareness.

“In our community, people think of us as the battered women’s shelter, but there’s a lot more to it. They don’t realize we are a victims’ services center, and as a victims’ services center, we provide so much more than shelter,” Rodriguez explained. “We have our relocation programs, housing programs, professional development programs – we do so much more than what people think of. We also help provide everything that is needed during a critical move to reestablish oneself.”

In the past year, Quigley House has reached more than 43,000 members of Clay County from their community outreach programs – approximately 2,000 hotline calls, 13,000 survivors, and 400-500 individuals ISPs.

Individual donations to Quigley House can be mailed in or made through the web site –they keep a running wish list on social media – but there many other ways to contribute, Rodriguez said. “First, we always ask people to follow us on social media and help spread our posts, so people know we are here.”

Other ways to help include donation drives, service projects, referring people to their hotline or working directly with survivors. “You can also bring us in as a guest speaker somewhere, so we can come in and help build awareness about domestic violence and sex assault,” Rodriguez added.

Click here for more information about Quigley House. Help is available through email helpline@quigleyhouse.org or call the Administrative & Outreach office at 904-284-0340. The 24-Hour Crisis Hotline number is 904-284-0061.

For donations, check out Quigley House's Monte Carlo Night fundraiser, September 30th.

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ABOUT ATLANTIC LOGISTICS

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Atlantic Logistics provides expedited truckload and partial service on flatbeds, stepdecks, lowbeds, vans, and reefers throughout the United States and Canada. Moving over-dimensional/over-weight freight with specialized equipment, Atlantic Logistics is an approved Department of Defense and General Services Administration broker, qualify as a woman-owned business, and are members of the Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA), the Transportation Marketing & Sales Association (TMSA), and the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) and the National Defense Transportation Association (NDTA).

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