MESA, Arizona-

Today Control Alt Delete got an escape request from a victim advocate. Although a lot of escapes can be handled electronically there are some that can only be done in person. So we load the truck with all the supplies we may need and set out.

I drove and drove and drove at first marveling at the stunningly beautiful Sonoran Desert. The recent rains brought out some early wildflowers I noticed. I wanted to stop and capture the beauty but knew there was urgency in the escape request.

As I drove the communities got farther apart. I drove until there were no more subdivisions, no more strip malls, no more gas stations, no more schools or hospitals. I drove until there was no more pavement and the roads were at first gravel then dirt. I wondered if my GPS had gotten me off track as there was nothing as far as I could see but desert.

Soon the beauty of the desert faded and was replaced by thoughts like:

How fast could police get here if this Survivor needed them?

Are there any neighbors they can run to for help? Or anyone that could hear them in a time of need?

Where did they get groceries? Where do the children go to school? Is there anyone to notice the abuse?

As I finally arrived at the Survivors home I looked around before getting out of the truck. I could see snow on the surrounding mountains and wondered if this home in the middle of nowhere had ever been a source of peace or if it was just a way to isolate the Survivor?

I tried to text the Survivor that I was there but had no cell service. I was certain that I was seen as I saw a curtain move to the side and at that point I was so grateful that I had the magnetic signs on the truck that showed I was from Control Alt Delete.

These Survivors – a mom, kids and dog are terrified and in the middle of nowhere with no transportation, food or necessities. Or I should say they were without. All the doors and windows have been reinforced with extra locks and alarms. They each have a door stop alarm and a personal body alarm. Their kitchen has food – the cabinets and refrigerator stocked, the dog has food and treats. The perimeter of the house had motion sensing solar lights and alarms now. The teen daughter literally excited to have conditioner and feminine products.

This is your donations at work. Together we are creating a Society of Survivors.

Control Alt Delete helps people escape domestic abuse by providing one time assistance to remove the barriers that keep them in unsafe situations.