NEWS

Within Reach Campaign | February 28, 2018

A Mother’s Influence on a Man’s Service

An Interview with WCA Champion,
Roger Garcia

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Roger is the director at the Centro Latino of Iowa in Council Bluffs and a
WCA board member. He was raised in a home where his father was
psychologically abusive to his mother.
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WHY DOES THE WCA MATTER TO YOU?
I always tell people that domestic violence is one of my passion issues. I was born to immigrant parents, my mom was from Honduras and my dad was from Mexico. My father was psychologically abusive to my mother, keeping her underneath his rules and forcing her to be submissive to him. He was controlling in an abusive way to where she wasn’t allowed to leave the house without his permission, and she was not allowed to work. She was limited in English, so that contributed to her dependence on him. He put her through 21 years of abuse. After several failed attempts to escape, she finally did. They separated for good and my mom moved us to Columbus, Nebraska, where she had to find a way to work full-time to provide for us as a single mother, learn English, and work her way up in society. She did that for my brother and me. She’s a big inspiration as one who overcame. As a child who went through that, I want to contribute.

 

WHAT KIND OF CONTRIBUTION DO YOU THINK IS MOST
IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO MAKE?
We all have the power to make this problem in our society go away. We have the power to help victims get out. This is a very personal issue to me in regard to my own family, and I also have extended family members and friends who have gone through sexual assault and domestic violence. I know how much trauma it can cause. No person should have to go through that. It’s something our society must address because every human is important in this world, has equal spiritual value, and is our brother and sister in humanity.

If you know of abuse, try to be a resource to that victim. Tell the person about the services at the WCA or intervene in any other way that will safely help the victim. We don’t want to increase the violence or put someone in a dangerous situation, and that’s why the WCA can be involved to help with the safety planning. Assure them that something positive can come out of the situation. We have the power to make a difference.

 

HOW DO YOU SEE THE WCA’S NEW LOCATION IMPACTING
THOSE WHO RECEIVE SERVICES FROM THEM?
To me it’s like a beacon of hope. The building itself has kind of a grandeur; it’s really modern and beautiful and stands as a beacon of hope to anybody who wants to walk through the doors and be taken care of from counseling to case management to immigration services … with no barrier to cost or language.

 

IF YOU WERE TO CHOOSE A PERSON TO HONOR THROUGH YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THIS CAMPAIGN, WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY?
My mom, honoring everything she went through to make sure her boys had what they needed and could advance themselves educationally. She survived abuse, being a single mother, and an immigrant learning a new language and new systems. I’m really proud of her for everything she was able to do for herself and her children.

 

WHEN WE SAY THE WCA IS WITHIN REACH,
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU?
To me it means we have an organization that’s absolutely available to everybody and anybody that’s going through any type of abuse. There is no barrier of cost because it’s a free service. There’s likely not to be a barrier to language because we have bilingual workers. And we have strong connections and collaborations with the police department and other nonprofits so that it’s a resource that’s easily accessible. All that combined summarizes the fact that we’re absolutely available to anybody who needs it.