Jan 16, 2020 When I Became Free

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Page 7 When I Became Free January 16, 2020
Kelli’s Haven
Being There for Others
KELLI BUNGERT
KBUNGERT@YAHOO.COM
Kelli Bungert is from central Wisconsin, and a survivor
of childhood rape, incest, and domestic violence.
She also a survivor of adult rape and incest at the hand
of her biological father. Kelli is an advocate working to
help others through Survivors Offering Support
(S.O.S.) in and around Juneau County, Wisconsin
I want to shed some light on how S.O.S has supported
survivors in our area. I have been working with
a mother and her two boys for the past several months.
When I first met this woman she was beaten down
scared and had no one to turn to. Her husband of 18
years beat her so severely that she couldn't even look at
herself in the mirror. She felt as bad as she looked.
With no family around and only mutual friends of her
husband’s, she had absolutely no one to turn to for
help.
A friend of mine contacted me and asked me to reach out to her and I did. When I first met her
she and her boys were living in a tent in the middle of the woods with no food and only the few
things of clothing they had time to grab. I knew she was in dire need of some help. So, I spoke
with a previous landlord that I had rented from and I was able to get her into an apartment.
Thankfully, an anonymous donor paid for their rent until March.
This mom felt defeated and alone. She thought she could never make it on her own. So my
wife and I along with help from others, filled her apartment with food, furniture, and clothing.
We are also able to get them sponsors for the holidays. They had a Christmas they will never forget.
She began to see that she really could do this on her own with a little help. We have all been
there in that place where we feel that we can't do it alone. We felt helpess scared, and worried
about where we would end up. We have had the nightmares and flashbacks of the abuse we have
endured. S.O.S changed the lives for this family and they are doing great. I am on call for them
24/7 to support them.
She has found a full-time job and is seeing a counselor weekly. She is no longer afraid. She
can breathe. She found her strengths. She knows her weaknesses, but she has choosen to be a survivor
and no longer a victim.
S.O.S consists of survivors. We all have and share simular traumas. We count on each other
for support, because, like this woman - I know what its like to feel alone and have no family and
have no where to go. I know how it feels to be beat down to almost nothing. I had absolutely no
where to turn too. But she knows she does. Don't lose hope. Don't give up because even when you
think you’re alone, you’re not.