Domestic Violence March Emphasizes Message: You Are Not Alone, and Free Help is Available

"At 10 years old, Laya Moody embodies the hope she wants other children to have.

Holding her speech in her hands, her voice clear and without fear, she spoke at a rally Tuesday in Omaha to raise awareness about domestic violence.

“I know there are other little girls and boys out there that are watching their mom or dad or maybe even their stepparents get hurt every single day. ... I want them to have hope just like my family did,” she said. “I want them to talk to someone if they are feeling scared about what is happening in their home.”

When Laya was just a little girl, her father beat her mother, and the mom and daughter slept in fear.

Her mother left her abusive father, and now, Laya says, life is good. On Tuesday, Laya’s mother also spoke of hope.

“The main thought I’d like to convey to women or men is that they’re not alone,” Heather Duhachek-Chase said after the rally.

“You may feel alone, they may tell you you’re alone, but you are not,” said Duhachek-Chase of Generation Hope, a counseling service. “There are tons of agencies that can help.”

Omaha is better equipped than most cities to help people, said Elizabeth Power, spokeswoman for the Women’s Center for Advancement. Thanks to generous benefactors, metro area residents in abusive relationships can get free confidential help, including legal aid, Power said..."

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