RADV Article: The Weight of Shame Was Never Yours to Carry
Abuse doesn’t just leave bruises or painful memories. It often leaves something much heavier: shame. It whispers lies into your mind. “If people knew what was happening, they would judge me.” “They’ll ask why I stayed.” “Maybe this is somehow my fault.” So you hide it. You smile when people ask how you’re doing. You […]
RADV Article: Sometimes You Have to Take the Rough Road to Get to the Smooth Part
There are roads in life that no one would choose to travel. The road through abuse.The road through fear.The road through court hearings.The road through sleepless nights.The road through starting over. If you’ve lived through domestic violence, you know that healing is rarely a straight, smooth highway. More often, it feels like riding down a […]
RADV Article: Why Is It So Hard to Finally Make the Decision to Leave?
One of the most common questions people ask about domestic abuse is, “Why didn’t they just leave?” It sounds like a simple question. But for someone living through abuse, there is rarely a simple answer. Leaving isn’t just packing a bag and walking out the door. It’s leaving behind the life you hoped would get […]
RADV Article: The Strength You Didn’t Know You Had
There is a strength inside you that abuse could not take away. It may not feel like it today. Right now you may feel exhausted, defeated, or overwhelmed by everything you’ve endured. You may even question whether you’re strong at all. But surviving what you’ve survived is proof that your strength never left. It simply […]
Every organization has a beginning.
This was one of the very first logos I created for Riders Against Domestic Violence. It wasn’t perfect, but neither was I. Back then all I had was a vision—a belief that riders could become a bridge between survivors and the resources that could help them. Over the years our logo has changed.Our website has […]
RADV Article: When the System Leaves You Feeling Invisible
One of the hardest moments for many survivors isn’t always the abuse itself. Sometimes it’s asking for help. You finally find the courage to report what happened. You tell your story. You relive some of the most painful moments of your life, hoping someone will listen, protect you, or simply believe you. Then the waiting […]
RADV Sunday Prayer
Heavenly Father, Today we come before You with grateful hearts, knowing that no matter what we have faced this week, You have never left our side. We pray for every survivor carrying pain that no one else can see. Bring peace to anxious hearts, courage to those who are afraid, and hope to those who […]
RADV Website Article
Keeping Positive in a Negative World Every day it seems like we’re surrounded by bad news. Turn on the television, scroll through social media, or read the headlines, and it’s easy to believe the world has forgotten how to hope. For survivors of domestic violence, that negativity can feel even heavier. You may be fighting […]
It’s Not Just About You. Your Loved Ones Feel It Too.
By Riders Against Domestic Violence (RADV) Abuse rarely hurts just one person. When someone is living with domestic violence, emotional abuse, coercive control, or manipulation, the effects spread far beyond the individual. Children notice. Parents worry. Friends feel helpless. Brothers, sisters, coworkers, neighbors, and even complete strangers can sense when something isn’t right. Trauma creates […]
Before There Was RADV
Chapter 2: Ten Dollars There are moments in life that seem small when they happen. Ten dollars. That’s all it was. My live-in girlfriend wanted our last ten dollars so she could buy more beer. I said no. Not because I wanted to argue. Not because I wanted control. Because it was the last money […]