You may not recognize the name. It’s Bev Gooden, btw. But you damn sure remember her setting Twitter ablaze when her hashtag #WhyIStayed went viral in 2014, which nabbed TIME’s Top 10 Hashtags That Started a Conversation.
The Cleveland native is doing more than talking about her experience as a domestic violence survivor. She launched nonprofit org–The Ella Mae Foundation–to advocate for victims of domestic abuse (in honor of late grandmother, who the foundation is named after.)
Starting with ‘The Bolt Bag’ project. It’s exactly what you think it is. A bag full of essentials when you need to…you guessed it…BOLT from someone dangerous.
The Bolt Bag contains toiletries, first aid kits, brush, comb and even more essentials.
Good hearted folk, like us Blinkers, can donate needed items for the Bolt Bags by reaching out to Bev.
“The time when you leave domestic violence is so, so dangerous, Gooden told NowWhat Her. “And I just wanted to do something tangible, to remove that obstacle.”
“My marriage was abusive and I got out of that marriage.” She adds.
According to the CDC, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men have been victims of severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime.
Being in those shoes, Gooden designed Bolt Bag to emphasize anonymity and safety.
“You don’t have to give me your name, or address, or social or phone number. That was the whole idea of the project is anonymity.” the Hampton University grad explains.
NowWhat Her reports hundreds of Bolt Bags have gone out around the world to help all those in need of an escape from a toxic relationship.
To learn more about the Bolt Bag Project click here.
Bev is our #WCW for not only surviving an impossible situation, but giving others the tools to do the same.
