READY 2 LIVE                             
WOMEN REBUILDING LIVES FROM ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIPS
Be safe on the Internet. Abusers are controlling and will check out your actions on
the Internet.  Call 911 if you feel you are in danger
ESCAPE




    There is a safe house that is in need of cleaning supplies and other
    items if you are in the Phoenix area  I will deliver the gifts.  You will
    receive a voucher of donation from the safe house that it is
    distributed to.  Ready 2 Live does not take monetary donations this
    is handled by each safe house.  Ready 2 Live does not profit from
    any donation, this is done from my heart to help others become a
    Survivor and rebuild lives.  SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC
    VIOLENCE WHO DONATE CLOTHING OR OTHER ITEMS WILL
    RECIEVE A GIFT FROM READY TO LIVE!

    YOUR USED CLOTHING THAT IS IN GOOD CONDITION CAN
    HELP A WOMAN WHO RESIDES IN A SAFE HOUSE WITH
    OUTFITS TO GO TO JOB INTERVIEWS AND FEEL GOOD
    ABOUT THEIR NEW FUTURE!  WOMEN AND CHILDREN
    WHO FLEE FROM THEIR ABUSER DO NOT TAKE ANYTHING
    WITH THEM, THEY ONLY HAVE THE CLOTHES ON THEIR
    BACKS.  PLEASE CALL READY TO LIVE INSTEAD OF
    THROWING AWAY YOUR CLOTHING THAT YOU DO NOT
    WEAR ANYMORE.  Please check your clothing that you
    donate for stains.

    ITEMS NEEDED:
    TEDDY BEARS
    Diapers  all  sizes
    Blankets
    Children's clothing
    Women's clothing
    Jackets and coats
    Laundry Detergent
    Bleach
    Pinesol
    Fabric Softener
    Shampoo
    Conditioner
    Hand Lotion
    Toothpaste
    Toothbrushes
    Bathsoap or Body wash
    Washclothes
    Towels
    Household items that women and children can use to rebuild their
    lives after leaving a safehouse


    Your old unused cell phones can help women who
    must reside in shelters and when they are ready to
    start their new life....DONATE YOUR CELL PHONES
    TO HELP A WOMAN WHO IS DOING HER BEST TO
    RECOVER AND START OVER AS A SURVIVOR OF
    DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.           

          
                                                   
                                      
Domestic Violence is not something that “Happens to other people”  OR  
“Something that happens behind closed doors”  

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS EVERYONE'S CONCERN!

Victims of Domestic Violence are:
YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS
YOUR NEIGHBORS
YOUR COWORKERS
A MEMBER OF YOUR CONGREGATION      
YOUR CUSTOMER
A MEMBER OF YOUR SCHOOL

Reach Out  & Get Involved, call your area Domestic Violence
Organization.  Find out how you can help Victims and Survivors of
Domestic Violence.  
With your help a Victim and Survivor of Domestic Violence can:

Enable the victim to become Self Sufficient as she starts her recovery
and new life FREE from ABUSE
Enable the victim of Domestic Violence to gain self esteem and self
confidence, mental and emotional stability through programs designed
to help women to prepare themselves to face life without ABUSE.

Your DONATIONS to Domestic Violence Organizations make it possible
for the organizations to meet the high demand and needs of the victims
that seek help.



                                   YOUR NOT ALONE
    It all began playing with my dolls as a child in the safety and comfort of my
    parents home.  More than anything, I wanted to be a mommy.  My dreams
    of being married to a husband who loves me and having that perfect home
    with children came true. But wait a minute...Something is not right and
    does not fit into my dream.  His face took on an angry even hateful look.  
    His eyes became focused on me as his voice spoke to me with a loud
    quick venom of disgust.  His hands immediately closed in a fist, I did
    not see it coming when his fist struck my face not once but twice... Oh
    please God, help me This is not part of my happy childhood dream
    hearing my haunting scream resound over and over in that split second.  
    This scene occurred because one of my first meals I cooked for him was
    chicken and I burnt the chicken. I was only 18 years old with no cooking
    experience.  Little did I know what would happen to my life back
    then....




                                                                       My name is Joni
                                                         I am a SURVIVOR


    I lived the nightmare of physical and mental abuse for many years from my
    ex husband.  I endured very same heartbreak that many women and
    children endure today.  I was an abused woman and my children were
    abused by an angry man. So many times I did not think I would make it out
    alive.  My story is one of pain, heartbreak, a struggle that took many years
    of healing to be where I am today.  My story is one of strength, my inner
    strength, many mistakes I made through my inner healing and recovery
    from the damage of Domestic Violence.  Life is very different now from the
    painful nightmare that I walked away from 18 yrs ago.

    Today I am married to Journey and we are the" VTwin Souls" as known to
    most people.  We both ride motorcycles and have a love for the V Twin
    engines.  I am now  married to a man who has a gentle spirit, he is my best
    friend.  Not at anytime in our marriage have we had one cross word with
    each other, not one single argument or fight.  I knew that I was meant to
    help and encourage other women and children to become strong  and
    inspire them to better themselves as they walk this road of healing.  

    So many of us women feel that we are alone.  Being abused by a husband
    or boyfriend is a shame, it is a shame that you keep only to yourself.  We
    have all lied for the mans anger, make excuses to co-workers, family,
    friends and to our children's
    schools when they go to schools with bruises.  We have all fell prey to the
    tearful man pleading for our forgiveness...promising never to do it again
    and how much the man loves us.

    Guilt abounds in within us as his falling tears and apologies spill  from his
    mouth.  Moreover, is the intense fear that "I may not get out of this
    relationship alive."
    Taking the first steps to putting your life back together is NOT an easy
    thing to do.  
    We fall due to low self esteem, lack of self confidence amid all of the other
    damage that was brought on to us by our abuser.  Many women make the
    wrong choices, repeating the past by attracting the wrong kind of
    man therefore end up in a series of abusive relationships.  I know, I have
    made the same mistakes.  Our children learn from the example their
    parents set.  What children see and when the home life is unhealthy, the
    children without help will be walking that path in their future.

    I have wondered, why do I make the same bad choices over and over
    again.  The answer was because I did not give myself time to like me and
    love me.  I truly felt that God turned his back to me. I was being the
    stubborn person that I am and thought why when tears fell from my eyes
    and heart, why Lord are you ignoring me and not making me a happy
    person?  My life was empty I lived with a painful void in the pit of
    my stomach every day.  I tried going to church and wore a mask of false
    happiness so that others would not see the shame I carried.  I became the
    party girl, I was able to fool many people, never could fool my parents.
        
One day my mother said to me "We don't even know you anymore, you
have not been close to us anymore, we want our daughter back!"
My heart broke at her words because I knew why she felt that way,
    I let my parents down! My mothers intent was never to hurt me
    with what she said, my mother was hurting also because I was not
    the person she raised and wanted to be close to.  I did not realize
    how tough my walls were.
    My parents and sister are the world to me, always will be!  Hurting
    my parents by the painful secrets I could not share was killing me
    inside.
    Knowing that my family felt as if they had to climb walls to get close
    to me was draining on them and it tore me apart because I did not
    know how to relate to anyone at all.  Bottom line is it took a very
    long time for me to recover and feel comfortable around
    everybody.