NEWS
Within Reach Campaign | March 24, 2018
For the Love of Family
An Interview with WCA Champion,
Esther Mejia
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Esther is the founder and creative director of E Creative, a branding and marketing firm that works with nonprofits in the community. The WCA engaged E Creative in early 2017 to work on brand messaging and campaign strategy for the new building.
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HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED WITH THE WCA?
I first met the WCA through a friend who invited me to a WCA fundraiser a few years ago. Their work completely resonated with me. I knew I wanted to support their mission and I am so honored that I can collaborate with them.
WHAT “GOT” YOU?
I just know how important their work in the community is. I have a family member who has been in an on-going domestic violence situation for more than 30 years. I had the immediate thought that had I known about them in the beginning, my choices would have been so different.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN?
I just didn’t understand all of the factors that were impacting her. There was a time when she was ready to leave and I offered her a place to live. I thought, “Gosh she’s set up in her own place. She doesn’t have to worry about rent, utilities, or any of the things that people worry about when they are starting over”. She went to the place for two days and then went back to her husband. I was extremely disappointed. Had I known more then, I would have taken her to the WCA. I didn’t realize that it’s not just about having a place to live. It’s about your safety, your kids, every part of life.
They could have walked through it with her, looking at it more holistically, having all the services to support her to get out. I thought I just need to provide a space to live but she needed so much more. That was just my ignorance, and I still carry the guilt of knowing her situation could have had a different outcome.
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO SHARE YOUR STORY WITH US?
If my story resonates with someone who has a family member who is in an abusive relationship, maybe they can feel like someone understands, that someone else gets what they are going through.
YOU DID THE BEST YOU COULD AT THE TIME WITH THE INFORMATION
YOU HAD.
Yes, I did. But I wish I knew more. I want more people to have better information than I had. The more exposure there is, the more conversation, the more education, the more we can change things. I don’t want anyone to have regrets like I do.
WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED SINCE THEN?
I’ve learned that a person can’t make a choice to leave until they’re ready. It’s not going to happen just because I want it. In the past I’ve thought, “Why doesn’t she leave? Why isn’t she doing something about it?” But I’ve learned that there are so many more factors that come into play.
WHAT DO YOU WISH WOULD CHANGE IN OUR COMMUNITY?
I was lucky to grow up in a household that was really healthy. So when you’re not exposed to abusive or unhealthy relationships as a young adult, you don’t know how to handle it. I say that because it happened to me, too; my first LGBT relationship was an abusive one. I didn’t know how to identify it because it was so foreign to me. You don’t see it until afterwards. I want there to be dialogue and awareness. Children and young adults need to be informed on how to recognize unhealthy relationships and to know there is help in our community if they need it.
WHEN WE SAY THE WCA IS WITHIN REACH, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN
TO YOU?
They are an organization that you can reach out to without judgment. When you’re ready to make a change, they’re always within your reach. You have access to them all the time. They’re open and available to anyone and everyone in our community as a resource if you need help, have questions or want to learn more.
