Every day in Hawaii, we meet survivors of domestic violence who face choices no one should have to make: stay in an unsafe home or step into the unknown without a place to go, money to live on, or safety for their children and pets.

I think about the courage it takes to walk away from everything familiar, not knowing what comes next. And I think about the countless survivors who never make that call — not because they want to stay, but because the obstacles feel insurmountable.

Domestic violence is not a “private” matter. It is a public health crisis that touches every community, regardless of income, background or island. Nearly 1 in 5 adults in Hawaii has experienced physical violence or intimidation by an intimate partner in the past five years. Twenty percent report coercive control,

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