Ten years ago, a Huntingdon Valley satellite office of a Montgomery County nonprofit was started in memory of a local 43-year-old mother and victim of domestic violence, and has helped countless other victims.
Nicole Peppelman’s death shook up the community when her husband brutally killed her and then committed suicide in 2015. Nicole’s Place at Laurel House in Huntingdon Valley is a thriving social service agency that continues to positively impact the lives of local residents.
Nicole’s Place is one of five offices of Laurel House across Montgomery County, where the staff provides counseling, safety planning, resource identification and advocacy for those at risk who need shelter or other help. Laurel House is the only domestic violence shelter in the county.
Laurel House Executive Director Stacy Dougherty, who has worked with the organization for 15 years, said that Laurel House was started some 45 years ago by a group of women at the Women’s Center who were answering a hotline for victims who needed a place to go. The mission of Laurel House has expanded to include education, training and legal and medical advocacy.
“After Nicole’s tragic homicide, her loving mother, sister and other family members as well as the greater community wanted to do more to support those in need and created the outreach office in Huntingdon Valley,” explained Dougherty.
“Nicole’s family and friends still support us today,” she said, “including her niece, who studied to be an occupational therapist and interned for us.”
Numerous volunteers and police departments work with the nonprofit, and everyone involved is eager to raise community awareness during Domestic Violence Awareness Month this October.
General domestic violence statistics reveal that an average of 24 people per minute are victims of rape, physical violence or stalking by an intimate partner in the United States — more than 12 million women and men over the course of a single year. This accounts for 1 in 4 women (and 1 in 7 men) who fear they will face physical violence in their lifetime.
Throughout the month of October, communities hold events during Domestic Violence Awareness Month to raise awareness, honor the survivors and remember the victims.
By offering local victims of domestic violence vital resources, they can start their lives over. During the past year, Laurel House was there for adults and children at risk to provide shelter in addition to various resources such as counseling and safety planning. Numerous volunteers and local law enforcement officials are also involved.
The history of domestic violence in the United States has not always favored the victim. There were states where the police had to watch the assault before charges could be filed. In fact, Dougherty says that tragically, “There were animal shelters before there were domestic violence shelters.”
Since the 1980s, there has been a significant shift in supporting the victims, “but we still want to do more. There has been a lot of conversation around breaking the silence about domestic violence and gender violence,” Dougherty said, “and we have made great strides, but we still have a long way to go.”
One of the problems is the misconception of who a domestic violence victim is and what their circumstances are. Professionals know that it crosses the lines of economics, race, social status and more.
“People believe it could never happen to someone like them to maintain their own peace, but our crisis response team has responded to some of the most affluent and poorest areas in the incredibly diverse Montgomery County to help victims,” Dougherty explained.
“Domestic abuse and violence do not discriminate. Just because someone carries a fancy bag or drives a fancy car doesn’t mean they have access to the money in their bank accounts when they are trying to plan their exit strategy, which becomes even more complicated when there are children involved.”
Christine Kinal is the president and CEO of HAVEN, a comprehensive service agency dealing with domestic violence and sexual assault – providing more than 30,000 individual services each year in Oakland County, Michigan, one of the largest counties in the state. HAVEN is an acronym for Help Against Violent Encounters Now.
She leads the only comprehensive program in the county supporting survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.
The agency is involved in crisis response and advocacy; from the time the crime is committed to a resolution in the courts. HAVEN operates a 24/7 crisis line, a 64-bed shelter, and has access to emergency hotels based on the current funding.
Kinal brings 21 years of experience as a law enforcement officer outside of Detroit’s Northwest side to her position. She was raised by a single mom who dated an abusive man, and addressed this aspect of her life with a career in the military and law enforcement.
“HAVEN has such a passion for helping people, especially those who don’t know how to navigate all of the red tape. There are many resources available today that I never knew about as a child,” Kinal said. “My life’s work in the aftermath as a victim of crime is to make other victims understand that something so awful – including food insecurity, landlord-tenant issues or homelessness — does not have to define you.”
One of the problems, according to experts in Pennsylvania, Michigan and around the nation, is that victims of domestic violence who need resources do not always know that they are available. “Preventive education is a key,” Kinal said. “We go into schools and educate kindergarten to 12th graders as well as college students about our available services. Our vision to eradicate violence in the home happens through preventive education, which is imperative.”
One major question frequently asked is can a victim of domestic violence escape a life-threatening situation. Kinal responds that they absolutely can escape with a safety plan. “It takes an average of seven times to leave an abusive relationship. That is where HAVEN’s crisis line comes into play to help people talk and gather a plan.”
Some improvements in culture include showing that domestic violence is no longer being tolerated, as it was ignored 50 years ago. “Slow changes in the laws have made it more likely that accountability will come now as opposed to the way it was decades ago.”
“When I was a child, I called the police, and they couldn’t enter a home even if there was evidence of an active assault occurring,” she recalled. “But in the early ‘90s, when domestic violence was classified as a crime at the federal level, the laws changed, supporting police intervention when 911 is called.”
For Kinal, the biggest change is that domestic violence is no longer a private family matter. “This is a community problem. The community is no longer allowing this violence to occur behind closed doors, and people are stepping up and advocating for others,” she explained.
Also, it is important for victims to tell a friend or family member what is going on, and not to downplay it. “It takes up to seven times for someone to get up and leave.”
She added that oftentimes the victim is blamed for not leaving. “There are many reasons that victims don’t leave, including a lack of money and other resources, fear of homelessness and not wanting to leave their children with an abuser or risk not seeing them,” Kinal says.
Dougherty wants everyone to know that “no one ever deserves to be emotionally, psychologically or physically abused. No one ever deserves to feel unsafe or scared in their own home; people deserve better. You only have one life, and you want to live it in the happiest, safest way possible.”
She also wants victims to know that “they are not alone in feeling scared or not knowing who to contact. Laurel House is here 24 hours a day, seven days a week; so, you’re never alone in your trauma.”
“So, reach out to us. We’re here to provide an ear to listen and provide some highly trained non-judgmental information,” Dougherty said. “No matter who you are or where you are from, someone at Laurel House wants to help you.” ••
If you feel unsafe or need help, call the Pennsylvania Coalition for Domestic Violence at 800-642-3150. If you are not in the area or need help for a friend, call 800-799-7233.
If you want to donate or volunteer, visit www.laurel-house.org. Holidays are a great time for in-kind donations. You can also find Laurel House on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
