They Said No One Would Understand Us—But Interval House Did

When I was five, my dad tried to kill my mom. That was the last time I saw him. My mother Americanized our last name so he wouldn’t be able to find us.

I was only two when we fled Vietnam in 1975 to escape the war, so I don’t remember much of that time. But I do remember my mom’s next relationship – he was violent too. As a teenager, I kept running away, but she kept bringing me back. I told my mom, “If you don’t leave him, I will continue to keep running away.” Not long after, she’d had enough. We left Arizona and started over in California, just the two of us.

Finding help wasn’t easy. Most shelters turned us away because my mom didn’t speak English. But Carol Williams, the executive director at Interval House, didn’t care about language barriers. She just knew we needed help, and she made sure we got it. That was rare back then.

With Interval House’s support, my mom learned English, pursued her education, and got legal help. Today, she also works here as the Domestic Violence Asian Program Director. Domestic violence is very common in the Asian community. But women are told that speaking out disgraces the family. It’s so important to break this cultural cycle of violence. Silence is deadly.

Interval House also helped me leave my own abusive first marriage. Because of what I went through growing up and what I learned here, I recognized the danger sooner. I left after five years … for myself and my children.

Interval House is special because we don’t take a one-size-fits-all approach. Every survivor gets an individualized plan because everyone’s situation is different. Some need emergency shelter, others need transitional or permanent housing. We support victims of human trafficking and elder abuse, and it doesn’t matter what language you speak, you’ll be understood here.

We teach people how to empower themselves, recognize red flags, and build healthier relationships. Many women who have stayed in our shelter complete our leadership program, and now they give back to their own communities.

My mom and I have been part of the Interval House family for 43 years–first as clients and now as staff. The reason we’ve stayed so long is simple: Interval House always has your back.