Linda Davies is KHTS AM-1220’s October Unsung Hero for her work with the Domestic Violence Center of Santa Clarita Valley.

The Domestic Violence Center (DVC) of Santa Clarita Valley provides safety and support to victims of domestic violence while working to break the cycle of abuse, according to the DVC’s website.

After receiving her bachelor’s degree in Social Psychology from the University of Massachusetts Boston and then her Master’s degree from Wheelock College, Davies went to work with women, children and families.

She worked as the Executive Director of Family School Connections, then later as the Director of Early Learning for The Institute for the Redesign of Learning.

Davies began her work with the DVC in March of 2012.

“I’ve always worked with women, children and families. That’s what my life’s work has been,” Davies said. “About four years ago a friend of mine told me about the Domestic Violence Center, I just moved here from the East Coast. I went in and interviewed with them and I saw the respect that they had by the office that they had, and what the shelter looked like.”

Davies has endured her own experiences with domestic violence.

Related story: Domestic Violence Center Of Santa Clarita Valley Launching Series To Raise Awareness About Family Violence

“I do have domestic violence in my past, early on in my first marriage,” said Davies. “I know what it’s like to be a single parent, to go through hardships, to get to the other side of it.”

For Davies, her motivation comes from those who she sees and works with at the DVC.

“I feel very empowered by the women that come in, the courage that we see,” Davies said.

Internationally, one in three women has been beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused in her lifetime. More often than not, the abuser is a member of her own family, according to a domestic violence statistics website.

“When you’re sitting in a room full of people, you know that this amazing, hard topic, where a loved one basically abuses you, has touched people within that room,” said Davies. “The awareness that we have to really raise is that it’s not something someone asks for. When we talk about the cycle, it’s not just the cycle that is happening immediately in their home at this point. It’s the cycle that occurred in their home as children.”

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness month. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence or if you’d like to join the effort against domestic violence and abuse, visit the Domestic Violence Center of Santa Clarita Valley website for information on getting help or for a full list of events to raise awareness.