Soon after Matt Huckabay started his job as executive director, he saw a baby, teen mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother arriving together for services at the Center for Violence-Free Relationships. Each of the women had received services from the Center over the years, yet they continued to be trapped in a cycle of domestic violence.

Matt asked himself, “who is responsible for making sure the baby does not become the fourth generation of victims?” As the leader, he knew that he was responsible–for ensuring meaningful, measurable and financially sustainable results for vulnerable people. But he had no way to assess his organization’s ability to deliver.

Ending the transmission of violence from one generation to the next required working with children for the first time, and with their parents. A children’s program was designed based on research about what works to reduce trauma symptoms.

Read the full article about domestic violence from the Leap Ambassadors Community