Families in Transition: “Thank You for Helping My Mom To Be Happy Again”

National Domestic Violence Hotline

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, available 24/7, for confidential assistance from a trained advocate. 

You can also find more resources on legal assistance in English and Spanish at WomensLaw.org.

My name is Jeannetta Gilliam, and I am the Assistant Director of Families in Transition in West Memphis, Arkansas.

At Families in Transition, we provide services to survivors and victims of:

• Domestic violence,
• Sexual assault,
• Human trafficking,
• Teen dating violence,
• Elder abuse, and
• Surviving family members of homicide.

We support these people and families with services that are directly tailored to their circumstances. These supports range from meeting immediate needs to providing legal assistance.

I spend much of my time working with the surviving family members of victims of homicide. Advocates like me at Families in Transition support survivors by:

• Accompanying them to court,
• Assisting them with applying for victim compensation funding,
• Helping them with writing their victim impact statements,
• Providing them with various resources to aid their holistic healing, and
• Equipping them with coping skills to help them navigate their grief.

Navigating the web of domestic violence survivor services can be overwhelming. At Families in Transition, we help to connect the dots and guide survivors as they access support.

The work we do is heavy: So many families in our community deal with the direct impacts of domestic violence. We see gut-wrenching circumstances every day.

However, we also see the “success stories” of people who have started on the path of healing. Because of our services, people have been able to find stable housing or a new job. We’ve helped survivors obtain orders of protection against their abusers. And we’ve walked beside families as they’ve received justice in court. My most memorable interaction through my work was when a child told me, “Thank you for helping my mom to be happy again.” Knowing that we are making a difference is what keeps me going.

“My most memorable interaction through my work was when a child told me, ‘Thank you for helping my mom to be happy again.’”

—Jeannetta Gilliam, Assistant Director of Families in Transition in West Memphis, Arkansas

Every day, we strive to provide safety and support to survivors who are impacted by interpersonal violence. In Arkansas, 80 percent of female intimate partner homicide victims are killed with a gun. Domestic violence and gun violence are a deadly combination—and at Families in Transition, we know all too well that disrupting abusers’ access to guns can save lives.

We received a grant to advance our efforts in this area from the Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund Domestic Violence Grant Program in 2023. The resources, education, and support we have received through the grant program have been invaluable for us. The Everytown Support Fund grant program has helped us to educate our community about the deadly intersection of guns and domestic violence. 

Earlier this year, the grant funding specifically helped us to support our Hearts Up, Guns Down campaign. This initiative was started by the father of an 8-year-old girl who was murdered. The criminal case for her killer took some time to go to trial, but it ended in a guilty verdict.

After the trial, the father created a logo that read “Hearts Up and Guns Down.” He wanted to share it with families like his own who were grieving a loved one taken by gun violence. Families in Transition purchased a large number of t-shirts, banners, decals, and signs with this logo to share with the community.

The community response has been powerful. During Gun Violence Awareness Month and throughout the year, individuals and organizations have helped spread the word. They shared photos and videos of them wearing the t-shirt and spreading the slogan on social media. Local professionals, first responders and officials, community leaders, and even a state representative got involved!

This past June, we were also anticipating the Supreme Court’s ruling in United States v. Rahimi. Our organization was both hopeful and nervous. We knew that if the outcome was not in our favor, the individuals for whom we advocate could very well be in greater danger of violence involving a firearm.

“The Everytown Support Fund grant program has helped us to educate our community about the deadly intersection of guns and domestic violence.”

—Jeannetta Gilliam, Assistant Director of Families in Transition in West Memphis, Arkansas

Our organization was extremely pleased with the Rahimi decision, which upheld the federal law prohibiting individuals from possessing firearms while under a domestic violence restraining order. That law is a critical protective measure to reduce the risk of deadly violence.

Families in Transition remains committed to addressing the deadly intersection of firearms and domestic violence. We are grateful for organizations like Everytown that share a similar mission and support us in this commitment.

October Is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

• Learn more about Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
• Learn more about Families in Transition.
• Access the Everytown Resource Guide for Survivors of Domestic and Intimate Partner Violence.