Department . With a disarming welcomeness and passionate certainty , she addresses the concerns many had when she first came on board : “ I think there was a bit of surprise when I got the position because , you know , what can a cop bring to a shelter that serves victims of domestic violence , sexual assault ? As an officer I ' ve seen the situation from a different perspective , I ' ve seen it as it happens , as it unfolds . But as an officer , you can only do so much immediately , you ' re not there for the long haul . At the Crisis Center , we ' re able to get these men and women back on their feet , help them get out of that situation and move on with their life .”

Mike Drinkard concurs . For nearly 18 years now , Mike has been the Crisis Center ’ s advocate in Terlingua . He talks candidly about the often-unreported incidents by men . “ Men don ' t want to admit that they are being abused . They might go out and fight every night at the bar , but this little woman got him terrorized . She got all the control , she ' s got a big psychological size , a lot of things are about psychological size .

“ It ’ s not just domestic violence we address though ,” Drinkard explains . “ In 2004 I saw the deputies on the side of the road with a guy down on the ground with handcuffs on . I thought this was weird , because this is supposed to be a calmer community . A couple of days later , I saw the same thing again , another person being handcuffed . Tensions were growing . I thought , people need to stop this violence . Something needs to be done . We need to find a way to communicate and get along with each other .”

A community member interjects , “ People are finding themselves desperate at the edge of our country . And we don ' t know where to turn other than to Michael to help us resolve issues that seem insurmountable .”

Many in Terlingua live off the grid without running water or electricity . There ’ s little work and a higher homeless population because the rentals they did have are becoming AirBnbs for tourists , making housing increasingly scarce and expensive . In his gentle way Michael explains , “ When they do surveys asking people from different organizations like law enforcement and legal aid to list needs like fresh water , gasoline , money , jobs , stuff like that , on the top of everybody ' s list is access to good mental healthcare . A lot of people could benefit from substance abuse rehab programs , but that doesn ' t happen here . You got to go as far away as Midland or El Paso . Often those places are full anyway , so that doesn ' t happen . I ’ m here to be an advocate , to listen . My job is not to judge . I can ' t tell people what to do , but I can offer resources , support groups and introductions to friends .”

Presidio , being a border town , has experienced its own set of challenges since the pandemic . Many who were once served can no longer cross from Ojinaga , Mexico . Living within the community , Krisna Saenz , Presidio ’ s community educator and client advocate , feels the strain on families who with the travel ban can no longer cross from Mexico to the States and ask for help . “ We helped everyone before the pandemic . The only thing we can do now is take them food boxes . With travel restrictions we cannot provide legal help for them . Because they ' re over there , in Ojinaga . Here in Presidio many stay quiet because they don ' t know about a lot of resources . And they don ' t know where to go . They ' re scared to call to the police . We want them to know they don ' t have to go back to the house with the fighting or with the violence . We can offer them shelter . If they are here in Presidio , we can provide them with legal services . We can help them with rent as they look for a job . We can offer them a community of support , that can make a big difference . Our women ’ s support group has 30 women aged 18 to 80 . They bring potluck and talk . It can be fun , silly , serious , or whatever . It helps people know they are not alone and that they have support .”

In Alpine , where the population is near double the other towns , there ’ s less ability to have one-to-one connections . Letty says , “ The biggest challenge is getting the word out , so people know we are here to help them , whether it ’ s domestic violence , sexual assault , or violent crime . We depend on vital partnerships with schools , volunteers , law enforcement and other loyal supporters to educate everyone in our community that we are here , we can help with food , shelter , support groups , hotline support and rent as they get a new footing in their life .”

In these remote regions , Letty and her crew are determined to not let anyone fall through the cracks . “ Each region is so different with different needs . We hire from within the community to make sure the needs are being met by people who understand and don ’ t judge .” One advocate confides , “ It ’ s hard sometimes when they tell their story . I want to cry but I can ’ t . I need to stay strong for them . I will cry later .”

Regardess of the type of violence victims have suffered , staff , volunteers and community partners work toward one common goal : that no one has to suffer through abuse . There is tangible , long-term help for anyone to get through the crisis and back on their feet again , maybe for the first time .

Mike Drinkard , Big Bend Community Center , Terilingua