CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — According to the Texas Advocacy Project, one-in-three Texans will experience domestic violence in their lifetime. In Texas, girls and young women, between the ages of 16 and 24, will experience the highest rate of intimate partner violence.
That's almost triple the national average.
The statistics are harrowing, but the resources offer hope.
For nearly 50 years, The Purple Door has been that source of hope, healing and promise for a brighter future to survivors of domestic and sexual abuse.
Despite their longevity in the South Texas community, Katlyn Campsmith -- sexual assault services coordinator for the Purple Door -- shared that she often meets people who have no idea that The Purple Door exists, or what services they provide.
And that it's often from individuals who could use their help the most.
That's where education and outreach come into play.
"What I had to learn at some point was you kinda start where you are, you’ve got to start where you are," Campsmith said. "You’ve got to give back to the community you’re a part of for anything larger to make a difference."
As a sexual assault services coordinator, Campsmith wears a lot of hats, and wears them proudly. She helps with community outreach, creating community partnerships, counseling and offering support for family and support systems so that they may better understand what their loved one is going through.
"Those doors can be heavy sometimes to walk in and get here, so when they finally make it in, it seems like they’re ready to take the steps of going into counseling," she said.
Campsmith also oversees the group of volunteers who will sit with survivors for what is known as a Sexual Assault Forensic Exam (SAFE) exam, which is given to victims of sexual assault or violence. They have the option of requesting an advocate to be there with them during the process, which Campsmith says can provide a sense of comfort, after enduring the unimaginable.
"We’re just sitting there with them, through the process, it’s one of the scariest and most intense moments of someone’s life," she said.
Another resource The Purple Door offers that Campsmith says many don't seem to be aware of is legal advocacy. Though they cannot provide legal advice, members of her team are available to to be there for the entire court process, forensic interviews and more.
"It's a huge range on what we can teach people about, right? Anything from the basics of domestic violence and sexual assault - to deep subjects," she said.
Campsmith's compassion and drive to help others goes deeper than her title.
It's also a part of her story.
"When I was going through all my experiences with domestic violence and sexual assault, I did not know that agencies like this existed."
Campsmith, originally from Colorado, shared how she was with her abuser on and off for three years, but it wasn't until she began working for The Purple Door that she began to reflect on the red flags that were present in the relationship.
"That's a statistic that I learned here too, is that it’ll take an average of six times for a survivor to leave and stay gone," she said. "Things just started to click and make sense. There's a name for it; other people are going through this. This has happened enough times, somebody has put it on paper so that other people are able to take learning experiences and hopefully continue to spread the knowledge, share the knowledge who may be going through similar situations."
Today, in her role, she's able to use her experience, education and empathy to lead others toward a brighter future.
"There is a light at the end of the tunnel, there is one," Campsmith said. "It may not seem like that, it may seem like a speck right now, but the more you take steps forward, do the next right thing. You’ll get there. You’ll get there one day."
If you would like to volunteer for The Purple Door, you will be carefully guided through training. To learn more about those opportunities, click here.
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