Avon's Everyday Hero Shanthi Rao Helps Women Escape Domestic Abuse

Do you know someone making a difference in our community? Patch wants to tell their story in a new series we’re calling “Everyday Heroes.” We are looking to share inspirational and uplifting stories of people who work to change others’ lives for the better.

Today’s nominee was sent in by a woman whose real name we can’t publish due to the nature of her relationship with the nominee. Because the nominator was a woman who experienced domestic violence, we are keeping her name confidential. For the purpose of this article she would like to be known as “Wilma.”

Name of Everyday Hero:

• Shanthi Rao

Your relationship to the nominee:

• She was my domestic violence counselor at Interval House.

Details of good work done or being done:

• “Wilma” was a client of hers who lost her children to an abusive ex-husband. He is now in jail and her children reunited with her. She encouraged me to not go back to my abusive ex and I believe she saved my life. He put oil in the brake fluid of my car to cause brake failure after taking out a major life insurance policy on me and on my son. She has saved hundreds of other mothers from being abused and/or to recover from abusive relationships.

Why do you feel is this person an Everyday Hero?

• She is a great role model as a wife, mother, grandmother and human being. She truly cares, is available 24/7 and goes above and beyond to help others. Shanthi has done a lot of great work for abused women in the Avon area, who are more at risk than abused women in Hartford. In Avon, the abusive men have money and prestige which causes the women to be discredited. The abused women are also used to living a certain lifestyle and are often too embarrassed to go to a shelter to escape. Many of these women end up being killed with their deaths explained as suicide or accidents; others are gas-lighted and committed to mental institutions and most of all turn to poly-substance abuse to endure it and stay because they have nowhere to go. Shanthi has helped so many women stay safe, survive and thrive. She is a truly amazing woman who is a fantastic therapist, a “boots-on-the-ground” worker who goes to court to see it through and a yoga instructor who encourages a healthy body and mind.... and she doesn’t even charge money. Shanthi is a mother of two children who were raised in the Avon school system to become doctors. Her supportive husband is a doctor also. I guess their family is all about healing!

Do you know someone who is an “Everyday Hero?”

Nominate them by following the instructions below.

Please answer the following questions:

1. Name of Everyday Hero
2. Your relationship to the nominee
3. Details of good work done or being done
4. Why do you feel is this person an Everyday Hero?

Email your answers, along with a jpeg photo, to wendy.mitchell@patch.com and your Everyday Hero could be featured!