History
The Lillian Smith Family Violence Foundation was founded in Dallas TX in 2006 by veteran advertising and public relations consultant J.J. Smith, as a memorial to his late mother, Lillian Smith.
When he was 10 years old, little "Johnny" witnessed his abusive father shoot and kill his mother and then commit suicide. This tragic event concluded years of physical, verbal and emotional abuse inflicted by his father against their family (see news articles below).
Fortunately, little "Johnny" - as he was then called - had four loving older brothers and sisters who arranged for immediate psychiatric care for him, plus provided much love and support as they all worked together through the shock and grief they experienced.
As a young boy there was little he could do to protect his mother. But, beginning in 2000, he realized there was something he could do to assist other victims.
While working an advertising sales consultant at KVIL-FM Radio and The Dallas Cowboys Radio Network in 2000, J.J. learned from the leaders of Dallas-Ft. Worth women's shelters leaders that there was a serious need for greater awareness and public education about the battle against domestic violence and child abuse.
Hoping he could help prevent other families from having to experience the same pain and grief that he and his family had endured, he began meeting with other survivors and media professionals to provide this awareness and education on a voluntary basis.
Under his direction, the Lillian Smith Memorial Family Violence Foundation spearheaded a multi-media public information campaign across Dallas-Ft. Worth to teach domestic violence victims how and where to find help. Their efforts generated over $200,000 worth of news reports and PSAs, after raising $20,000 from corporate sponsors to do it. Over 40 volunteers joined him, including many survivors of abuse.
Unfortunately, the tragic events of 9-11 depleted funding sources and prevented the small non-profit from continuing on.
In 2006, however, with the economy once again strong, he re-established the non-profit, rebranding it as the Lillian Smith Family Violence Foundation.
It's initial achievement was to hold its first fundraising event, the "Race To Prevent Family Violence," Oct. 10, 2006, at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco TX. Although it attracted over 150 runners and walkers, and several sponsorships were arranged to help pay expenses, the event actually lost money. It did, however, prove that runners and walkers will participate in an event for this cause, and that such an event can be successful in the future, if more sponsorships can be arranged.
J.J. then joined several anti-violence organizations across the Metroplex and began
networking with goverment leaders, family violence victim advocates and the media. Soon, he, board members and other survivors began speaking publicly at a variety of locations across DFW.
But realizing how large the DFW Metroplex is for such efforts and having just moved to the east Dallas suburb of Rockwall in 2004, J.J. and his wife, Roxana, decided to just concentrate on making a difference in their own back yard.
In 2009, they began branching out again across Northeast Texas to persuade and empower more and more people to put a stop to family violence.
Highlights have included:
- Organizing over a dozen meetings between 2006-2009 with professionals in law enforcement, criminal justice, health care, social services, schools and government to better coordinate efforts to reduce abuse in Rockwall County
- Hosting a weekly Saturday morning talk radio show, "When Love Hurts," on AM 1400 KGVL News-Talk Radio in Greenville TX, with domestic violence survivor Katie Clemens, from Sept. 2007 through April 2008
- Interviewing dozens of community and government leaders, victim advocates, counselors and survivors from across Northeast Texas on the radio show to discuss what needs to be done to further prevent and reduce family violence
- Making presentations to hundreds of students and faculty at Richland and Remington Colleges
- Consulting with and arranging speaking and dramatic presentations with Rockwall ISD to begin development of an anti-dating abuse program
- Receiving the honor of being named one of four finalists by The Family Place Women's Shelter in Dallas in Sept. 2008, for a new annual "Man of Distinction" award, given to a man who has done the most to make family violence a community issue, rather than just a woman's issue.
- Organizing and hosting the first annual Rockwall County Lillian Smith "Race To End Abuse" 5K/Walk, Oct. 31, 2009, to raise awareness and funds for local campaigns in media, schools and communities
- Launching a professional website, plus print and web ad campaign beginning in September, 2009, to promote the Race and provide important information to reduce and prevent abuse locally
- Generating hundreds of news stories - beginning in October, 2009 - which were printed nationwide to help Crystal Buckner protect her daughters from their abusive father, spearheading efforts to change the law in Texas so it will be illegal for parents, spouses and guardians to show porn to their children as he did.
- Producing a state-of-the-art website in June, 2010, to serve as a basis for all marketing efforts.
COPYRIGHT 2010 Lillian Smith Family Violence Foundation. All rights reserved.
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