Sandra V. Hughes, founder and President of the
Foundation for Overcoming Abuse, has every reason to be passionate
about the cause (see “Abandonment” and “Lost and Found” in the “True
Stories” section), but when Sandra was suffering abuse, neither
shelters nor “pro bono” (free) counseling were available. As a
result, her recovery was more miracle and good timing than anything
else. At her lowest point, when her thoughts turned toward suicide,
Sandra finally found both a safe place to fall and received a lead
that took her to the Gwinnett Sexual Assault Center (GSAC) where she
not only recovered but began reaching out to help others. Sandra’s
story had come full circle from victim to survivor to teacher to
mentor, and now, she has begun the task of helping more than she can
meet individually in a single center … and she was also uniquely
qualified to do just that.
While Sandra was struggling to find her own recovery,
she also started on a journey to self-independence. To this end,
she started a small business in the basement of her home. A few
years later, the business out grew her home, and she opened her
first office. As time went by, she would open two more and become
known as the highest quality service company in her niche. In a
market the size of Atlanta, it wasn’t long before her company hit
the radar screen of a national company that would later buy her
company on the condition that she stay on board. Sandra’s
motivation for self-independence had been realized, and for the
first time in her life, she was dependent on no one else. It was
only then, when she needed no one else, that she was able to find
both the love of her life and the help she needed to become
completely whole.
These two chapters in Sandra’s life make her:
·
Passionate about ending abuse.
·
Capable of putting together an organization with
the ability to meet nearly any challenge.
·
Knowledgeable enough to surround herself with
people whose strengths complement her own.
·
Charismatic enough to bring it all together.
We hope, after reading about the other members of the
team, that you too want to help the Foundation in its charter to
bring an end to abuse everywhere.
