Turning tragedy into a torch for others to follow

ALBANY — Cassenda Nelson is turning her family tragedy into a triumph.

In August of 2017, Nelson lost both her mother, Frances Nelson, and her aunt, Mamie Childs, to a domestic violence homicide. A year later, she is well on her way to establishing I&A Divyne Purpose, a nonprofit dedicated to helping distressed or disenfranchised women of color escape traumatic or abusive situations.

Nelson and others have developed an official mission for the organization: “I&A Divyne’s purpose is to deliver life-changing programs to women of color ages 18-50 who have experienced some form of trauma, domestic abuse or are unable to financially sustain themselves. (The programs) will place them on the road to healthy living, mental wellness, spiritual wholeness and economic freedom.”

The nonprofit is not a shelter and will not have an official location. Due to safety concerns, word of mouth is most likely how women who utilize I&A Divyne’s programs will be able to find it.

Nelson said she wants “a place where people can come and feel comfortable. You’re not going to be judged. You’re going to be treated with fairness and respect; that’s my goal.”

Women can enroll in a three-month weekend retreat or a six-month drop-in retreat at which they can participate in a variety of programs. These programs fall under educational attainment, financial sustainability, mental wellness, spiritual wholeness and life skills development categories.

“Money is power; when people can’t pay bills, (some people) will become abusive,” Nelson said. “And if the woman makes more money than the man, they really hate that. That was the situation with my mom. (Her attacker) couldn’t hold a job … but my mom had been on her job for 23 years. Her finances were a little more stable, and when she decided to take that stability away from him, he didn’t know how to handle it.”

For women who are in the stage of their careers during which they must take part in interviews, Nelson said she plans to open Mamie’s Closet, named in honor of her aunt. The program will accept donations of business attire.

In honor of her mother, Nelson also said she looks forward to starting the Frances Reflection and Community Garden, where she said she plans “to give out fresh produce to the community and assist people who want to volunteer and help plant.” The garden will be open to the public.

Lakisha Barnum, a behavioral therapist and certified life coach with her own business, will be a life coach at I&A Divyne Purpose.

“When Ms. Nelson came to me with her vision, I was ecstatic because so many women have a message to tell and they’re afraid to do so,” Barnum said. “When the message is told, it’s usually too late. (Nelson’s) goal is preventing abuse through education and awareness. I felt that was the part of the component that I could give back to the community.”

Many women choose not to seek help, Nelson noted.

“They’re embarrassed about what people will say,” she said. “I would rather they be embarrassed and start over than to not be able to start over at all.”

In 2017, the Violence Policy Center published a study analyzing 2015 homicide data. When ranking states by the rate of females murdered by males in single-victim/single-offender homicides, Georgia came in at No. 14. According to annual reports published by the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the Georgia Commission on Family Violence, there were 1,842 domestic violence-related deaths in Georgia from 2003 to 2017.

“Economically depressed areas like Albany, which is one of the poorest congressional districts in the whole country, you’ll find higher rates of incidents of domestic violence,” said Sherrell Byrd, owner of The BAM Agency and a longtime community service volunteer. “The more people who join in this fight, the more women will see there are places they can go versus there only being one or two (resource centers) in the area.”

When some domestic violence survivors turn to the law for help, they are sometimes met with debilitating legislation. Nelson has her eye on such legislation. For example, she cited Georgia’s 30-day eviction rule.

“(My mother) went to the judge on the sixteenth (of August) for (her abuser) to move out; on the eighteenth, he murdered both her and my aunt,” she said. “If someone lives in your house for a certain amount of time, you have to give them 30 days to move out, no matter what.”

Nelson and Byrd are accepting donations for Mamie’s Closet. Clothes can be sent to 1902 West Highland Ave. Interested persons can reach I&A Divyne Purpose at (229) 869-5163. Albany Community Builders is working with Nelson to put together the Frances Reflection and Community Garden. Byrd said they also “need people who have a heart for women to come and teach workshops and give women career prep.”

If all goes as they have planned, Nelson said I&A Divyne Purpose will open “on Aug. 18, which is the anniversary of (Frances Nelson and Childs’) deaths.”