I Got Flowers Today

Dedicated to all battered women

By Paulette Kelly

I got flowers today!

It wasn’t my birthday or any other special day.

We had our first argument last night. And he said a lot of cruel things that really hurt.

I know that he is sorry and didn’t mean to say the things he said

Because he sent me flowers today.

I got flowers today!

It wasn’t our anniversary or any other special day.

Last night he threw me into a wall and then started choking me.

It seemed like a nightmare, but you wake up from nightmares to find they aren’t real.

I got flowers today!

It wasn’t Valentine’s Day or any other special day.

Make up and long sleeves didn’t hide the cuts and bruises this time.

I couldn’t go to work because I didn’t want anyone to know - but I know he’s sorry

Because he sent me flowers today.

I got flowers today!

And it wasn’t Mother’s Day or any other special day.

Last night he beat me again, and it was much worse than all the other times.

If I leave him now, what will I do? How will I take care of the kids? What about money?

I’m afraid of him, but I’m too scared and dependent to leave him. But he must be sorry

Because he sent me flowers today.

I got flowers today...

Today was a very special day - It was the day of my funeral.

Last night he finally killed me - I was beaten to death.

If only I would have gathered the courage and strength to leave him.

The woman’s shelter could have helped me, but I didn’t ask for their help.

So I got flowers today...for the last time.

How can I help?

First let us thank you for taking this first step to support us! Help is always greatly appreciated no matter what form it is in. There are a couple ways to help!

The first way is in the form of a donation. Donations are always welcome in various forms. There is a link to our paypal account on our website -- http://www.woodbridgedvrt.org/pages/donate.html -- or you can mail in a check to DVRT 1 Main St. Woodbridge, NJ 07095. If you are interested in donating food or clothing please call or email so we can properly assess our needs and where your donations will be the most appreciated! 

The second way is to become a volunteer and join our team! All prospective volunteers are required to complete an application. You can download the application from our website -- http://www.woodbridgedvrt.org/document/DV_Application.pdf
Once your completed application is received, a criminal background check and an interview will be conducted. All applicants must possess a valid NJ driver's license and have their own transportation to police headquarters for assistance calls. Please note: Applicants that have criminal records or have been convicted of domestic violence may be denied acceptance. Other conditions that may prevent an applicant's approval include, but are not limited to, psychiatric or mental problems, inability to read, write, or clearly speak English, alcohol or substance abuse problems, or any other issue that may interfere with the applicant's ability to assist a domestic violence victim.

After your application has been approved you will then need to attend 40 hours of training conducted during evening and/or weekend hours. Here you will learn valuable information about domestic violence and how to help a victim in need. Once the mandatory classroom training is completed, the new members will spend their first 10 hours in the field with a veteran team for additional training experience. Team members are required to be "on call" a minimum of 2 shifts per month. While the team member is "on call", s/he will need to be accessible by phone and the police department will call the team member to respond to headquarters to assist a victim. The team members are expected to respond immediately when called. Additional training may be required during the team members' time on the team.

In addition to responding to headquarters to assist victims, the team is involved in many community events to promote public awareness and education on domestic violence. All team members are expected to participate in as many events as possible. Team meetings are held once a month to discuss these events and other team related doings.

While this team does do a wonderful service to the township of Woodbridge by helping it's domestic violence victims, we also promote community pride with the various functions we host during the year. We hope you will considering joining us as a team member or at any one of our many gatherings around town!

More about the Woodbridge Twp. DVR Team

The Woodbridge Twp. Domestic Violence Response Team was created in 1993. Initially with only 7 members we've grown to roughly 35 members now, and are always looking for more! We are an all volunteer team and completely self-supporting. We hold fund raisers during the year and rely on the kindness of our neighbors to raise money for our cause. All of the proceeds go towards helping the community. We use the funds raised to purchase resources, informational pamphlets, and handouts for victims; educational programs for school children and the community; and continuing domestic violence education and training for new and existing team members.

We work hand in hand with the Woodbridge Police Department to provide the best possible support and assistance to each victim. A member is always on call - we are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year to the community we service. To date we have offered assistance to thousands of victims of domestic violence and made many strides in educating our community. We provide support and assistance to any victim, regardless of race, religion or gender. Unfortunately, we have much more work to do as domestic violence remains at epidemic proportions. In 2010 there were 923 reported cases of domestic violence in Woodbridge Twp alone! Imagine how many more cases went unreported.  

There are multiple ways to reach us: 

1) The best way is for you to go down to the Woodbridge Twp Police Department and ask to speak with the volunteer on call. They will call one of our training seasoned members to come down to the station to meet with you.

2) You can call our phone number 732-634-4500, ext. 2812. The number is not maned 24/7 but you are welcome to leave a message and someone will get back to you shortly.

3) You can email us at dvteam@woodbridgedvrt.org. This email address is also not maned 24/7 but someone will return your email as soon as possible. 

Again - your absolute best way to reach someone is to go down to the police station and ask to speak with a member. Someone is on call every day of the year to listen, offer support and encouragement, discuss your options, and provide any information assistance you may need.