AVLF

Give us your best elevator pitch – what does AVLF mean to you? Safe and stable homes and families. Easier said than done. What do you do when a friend calls and says her spouse has been abusing her for years? How do you respond when you find out her hand had not been cut in an accident at the house (as you previously understood) but had been cut to the bone holding the blade of a knife to prevent it from being pushed into her sternum by her husband? What is your reaction when you find out how many times her life had been threatened with a gun and how many times she had feared for the safety of her children because of her husband’s abuse? How do you process the range of emotions when you learn the physical abuse was just the tip of the iceberg and the emotional and mental abuse was far worse? I got that call.

On September 15, AVLF sponsored a screening of the documentary American Winter. Through the stories of eight families, the documentary vividly shows how one lost job can cascade into depleted savings, utility shutoffs, eviction, homelessness, hunger, and profound hopelessness.

The film follows one woman visiting a food bank for the first time. As a worker places food in her basket, the woman breaks down crying. She explains that she’s never had to turn to a food bank before; the groceries will make a huge difference to her family. The worker hugs her, touches her hand, looks in her eyes. “You can help somebody another time,” the worker says.