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Photo Courtesy of Sxteen Design | T’sharin Moncrief
Published 11/24/2019 | Reading Time 1 min 33 sec
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — T’sharin Moncrief, a domestic violence survivor, and advocate whose abuse started at the young age of 16-years old, has launched an organization called Women of Refined Gold, Inc. (WORG). Based in Montgomery, Alabama, the organization provides local resources, counseling services, classes, peer support, accompaniment and referrals for temporary shelter, food, and legal help.
Moncrief was just a teenager when her boyfriend began abusing her, and the physical and verbal abuse continued for 17 years. After finally finding the courage to leave with her three daughters, she made it her mission to help other women do the same and to provide a safe-haven for them to retreat.
Domestic violence is one of those things that is so rarely discussed and often overlooked as not being a priority issue. But every 9 seconds, a woman is beaten or assaulted in the U.S. The expenses accumulated from domestic violence cases amount to more than $37 billion a year.
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“I’d say it’s a pretty severe and priority issue,” Moncrief said and added, “Domestic violence isn’t just a physical altercation; it can be in the form of Emotional, Sexual, Psychological, and even Financial abuse. As someone who was once in a domestic violence relationship, leaving isn’t always an option, at least not right away. An abuser can psychologically and emotionally bind a woman to a relationship.”
Part of what Moncrief’s organization does is to help women identify the following signs that may indicate that they have an abusive partner:
• Isolation
• Humiliation
• Explosive Temper
• Extreme Jealousy
• Dominant or Controlling
• Threaten self-harm if you threaten to leave
• Constant calling, texting when not in their presence
• Forces unwanted sexual acts
• Controls what you wear, where you go, and who you spend time with
“Domestic violence can cause an adverse effect on the emotional and psychological state of the victim. Panic attacks, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, depression, and anxiety are just some of the after-effects of this type of abuse,” Moncrief explained.
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But her organization, Women of Refined Gold, makes it their mission to connect women and youth to survivor resources in their area. Their goal is to provide prevention education and community outreach that allows them to educate the community, empower victims, and (or) survivors in order to end repeat victimization.
Moncrief added, “Our silence is by far the worst action possible toward these situations. Not speaking up about abuse now rather than later can lead to fatal endings for most victims.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence or has experienced it and would like to be connected to resources, peer support, and even safety solutions, give WORG, Inc a call at 334-877-7013 or visit their official web site at www.worginc.org.