"Jana Lynne Mackey was the kind of woman that inspired others. She inspired through her words, her song, her actions. Jana was beautiful, intelligent and kind. She was an advocate, a friend, a sister, a daughter. Jana was the kind of woman that would never miss an opportunity to inspire you to create social change. She was magnetic. She was a bright spot in an ordinary day. She was a hero.
Jana’s spirit glowed with the light of 1100 torches.
It’s time to return the favor."
-excerpt from Jana's story on http://www.1100torches.org/janastory2.htmlIt’s time to return the favor."
July 2, 2008 changed everything because on July 3, 2008, Jana was found dead at the hands of her boyfriend. She may have died a victim of what she had fought so hard against, but in her tragedy she has become an even brighter light to so many, bringing awareness of the epidemic nature of domestic violence.
Recently I had the opportunity to share a personal tragedy of the same nature with Jana's mother, Christie Brungardt. In the course of our conversation, she asked a very poignant question: "How do we help everyone understand that violence against women is not only common, but prevalent. This equates to a societal public health/public safety issue - which means everyone. But how do we make it real for everyone?"
Answer: We keep working. We keep trying, talking, sharing, encouraging, railing against the defeats and pushing forward. In that spirit, the new Mentoring Program at Fort Hays State University has selected "Jana's Call to Action" as the organization where The Leadership Brothers & Sisters of FHSU can do their part to help make a difference.
Please take the time to visit http://www.1100torches.org/home.html
and learn more about Jana's story and what we can do now to make a difference in her memory- and that of all who have been lost to violence- by reaching out and doing positive, good, uplifting, and worthy acts within our community.
