Jessie has her mother’s eyes, ocean blue and iridescent. She has her mother’s fine hair, too, though she no longer remembers her mom’s natural color under the memories of ever-changing hair dye.
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The Lee Enterprises Public Service Journalism Team surveyed 150 women from July through October 2024 across eleven women’s daytime and overnight shelters throughout the Pacific Northwest.
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Jessie walks through a Northwest Portland neighborhood with her dog, Kisses, who lives with her and her partner.
JESS HUME-PANTUSO, Mid-Valley Media
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Jessie, a domestic violence survivor who shared her experience with Lee Enterprises' Public Service Journalism Team, has an affectionate moment with Kisses, her pet pit bull. v
JESS HUME-PANTUSO, Mid-Valley Media
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Jessie and Kisses, her pet pit bull, smile during a quick stop for pets during a walk at through a Northwest Portland neighborhood.v
JESS HUME-PANTUSO, Mid-Valley Media
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Wearing a red raincoat that matches her dog's grey-and-red knitted sweater, Jessie's life today feels far from the instability and pain that characterized her experience with domestic abuse and homelessness.
JESS HUME-PANTUSO, Mid-Valley Media
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Jessie clasps her hands together as she brings up memories of past abusive partners and how difficult it is to break the cycle.
JESS HUME-PANTUSO,Mid-Valley Media
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A domestic violence survivor who also saw her mother suffer abuse during her childhood, Jessie talks about the positive changes in her situation while taking her dog for a walk. She feels in control of her life these days, but that wasn't the case when she was younger, she said.
JESS HUME-PANTUSO,Mid-Valley Media
Nicole Hayden can be reached at nicole.hayden@lee.net or at (810) 210-1561.
In this Series
Updated
Jan 20, 2025
Updated
Jul 7, 2025
Updated
Jan 20, 2025
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