KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A group in Kansas City, Missouri, has planted the seeds to create a safe haven for survivors of domestic violence.
Give Yourself Love (GYRL) Domestic Violence Group, spearheaded by Ms. E Ellington, dedicated a memorial rose garden on Sunday in the 3800 block of Chestnut Avenue, near the site of what will ultimately house a shelter.
"The roses represent -- the thorns that surround them -- represent the beauty that comes from underneath it," Ellington said. "So it's in remembrance that there's life after domestic violence."
Rev. Loren Reed, a GYRL volunteer, said they are sick of violence against women and women being abused or killed.
"Lives are being damaged," Reed said. "Kids are being traumatized. People are forced out into the street behind acts of violence."
The garden honors the memory of 200 people who have suffered due to domestic violence, according to Ellington, and is the first garden in the country solely for those individuals.
Brandon Ellington, District 3 councilman, said his mother's organization will provide resources and security for women and children who survived domestic violence.
