'Heroes' volunteering to help victims of domestic violence

To the Editor:

I'd like to introduce you to Shirley's Lincoln County Crisis Solutions heroes.

Once you get to know them, I'm betting they will be your heroes too.

I'm the LCCS hero dispatcher and have a T-shirt to prove it.

Today I gave every one of my heroes a T-shirt that says, "One of Shirley's LCCS heroes," so you'll recognize them and thank them for their hard work.

Every day I transfer the LCCS hotline to one of my heroes who then take the crisis calls for a 24-hour period. Oh, that's not all they do.

They really care about the domestic violence and sexual assault victims that call the crisis line for help and guidance.

My heroes help them through the "system" to get he help they need. They provide emergency shelter for the victim that has been battered either physically or emotionally, assistance obtaining orders of protection from their abusers and stand by them to help them feel safe.

Oh, and the victims often have children who need my heroes' help as well. My heroes go out into the country whenever they are needed to pick up victims from a safe location and transport them to the hospital, police station or direct to emergency shelter where they can get the help and support they need.

I worry about my heroes' safety and the safety of the victims that they transport and care for. I make my LCCS heroes call me and tell me when everyone is safe so I can stop worrying.

Without my heroes, victims of domestic violence and sexual assault would have no one to turn to for the resources they need to obtain safety and start to work on a life free of violence.

I honored my LCCS heroes today by giving them their T-shirts.

If you would like to volunteer to be a hero, we provide excellent training and support, and one of my hero T-shirts.

Or, if you are a victim of domestic violence and want to know where to turn for help, call the crisis line at 293-3223. If outside the Libby area, call toll-free at 1-877-493-7139.

I'll sign you up for hero training or transfer you to one of my heroes who will help you.

Shirley Phillips