The District 11 Business and Professional Women's Organization addressed the domestic violence topic at their Fall District 11 Meeting held on Saturday, October 5, at

BPW District 11 Director Donna Jones accepts many gift  cards for domestic violence shelters at the Laurel House of Montgomery County and Women's Place of Bucks County.

the Montgomery Township Recreational Center, North Wales. 

            Vicki McCarrick, Assistant District 11 Director, BPWPA State Project Chair and Upper Perkiomen BPW President, provided valuable information relating to the recognition of domestic violence. It was shared that it is the hardest to acknowledge that you or someone you are close to is experiencing family violence.

            Common indicators of abuse are: name-calling or demeaning comments; somebody seems to be good to be true; frequent phone calls or texts; threats to harm or kill you, your pet(s), or family member; blaming you for abusive behavior; preventing you from spending time with family or friends; and/or damages your credit by exceeding limits. These were indicators that are most commonly found in abuse cases.

            There are warning signs of abuse that an outsider may notice: their partner puts them down in front of others; they are constantly worried about making their partner angry; they make excuses for their partner's behavior; their partner is extremely jealous or possessive; they have unexplained marks or injuries; they have stopped spending time with family and friends; and perhaps a change in their personality.

            The BPW members were told the best way to help someone is to be a listener and support them. Leave the decision-making up to them. Encourage them to seek the help of an advocate at their local domestic violence program or call the hotline 800-799-SAFE (7233) or use the website pcasv.org. There is always someone there who can help you plan on your needs. The information was provided by the PA Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

            In coordination with the BPW/PA Domestic Violence focus, District 11 Director Donna Jones, of Greater Conshohocken, asked everyone to wear purple, the color associated with the topic. She asked the five local BPW organizations, Central Montgomery County, Greater Conshohocken, Quakertown, Souderton Telford and Upper Perkiomen, to provide gift cards. The gift cards will be divided between two domestic violence shelters, the Laurel House of Montgomery County and the Woman's Place of Bucks County. Over 50 gift cards, of varying amounts, were collected.

            If interested in learning about the BPW, please call Nancy at 215-679-6687.