By: Jeanette McKinnon
At the age of 25 Jeanette McKinnon and her 4-year-old son, in Savannah, Georgia met a gentleman and the three of them became a family. Before she turned 30, her husband’s severe alcoholism created a homelife of abuse, manipulation and fear for both her and her child. Jeanette recalls one severe beating incident that left her with ten stitches on her face near her left eyebrow internally and externally and a clot from the back of her head. Nearly four years into the relationship, not even thirty years old, with two other children in tow, Jeanette experienced her breaking point moment. That was the moment where his beating cost the life of her third son and resulted in her having a stroke.
She sought solace at Savannah’s safe shelter where the state picked up charges for the things he did to her and followed through on the restraining order she had placed. The judge granted her a divorce. Although the center provided resources to get her back on her feet she was still held captive by her thoughts of failure, and doubts of making it on her own. But she says, “The best decision I made was to choose to live…. No longer let him define me. Crying and looking in my other son’s eyes for the last time was my last straw. He needed to be free of fear.” Although she was free physically, she still felt mentally imprisoned in Savannah and so, Jeanette and her son moved to Charlotte 3 years ago. “The change to Charlotte was good for me” she said.
It took nearly five years for her to begin telling her story. Through speaking engagements and one on one conversations she now educates women on what abuse really looks like. She said, “Some feel that if it’s not physical then it’s not abuse but that’s simply not true. Abuse takes on many forms, like financial, emotional, spiritual, and sexual. Many of the ladies I speak with as are going through those very things well. I tell them don’t wait until he kills you and or your kids to leave him. Love isn’t supposed to hurt!”
It has taken Jeanette over eight years to rebuild the rubble of ruins done to herself and her children. But she has turned the lessons of her beatings into blessings for others. She has set out to be a servant and live her life with purpose. “I feel God spared my life for a reason. I had to forgive myself first, ask God for forgiveness for putting myself in this situation before I could forgive him, and I needed to do that before I could truly be any good to serve anyone else. I have gone through what I did so that I can serve, support and help others so that they don’t have to.”
In living out her purpose, Jeanette began Purse of love eighteen months ago. With donated handbags and little or no other outside resources, she collects donated purses and fills them with cosmetics, Chapsticks, personal, feminine and hygiene items, etc. Once a month she personally delivers the filled purse to a local shelter to be passed out to the current residents. At the present time, she looks to turn purse for love into a 5013c non-profit business and begin fundraising to help provide the needs of others.
Despite being homeless, losing a child to domestic violence and suffering a stroke before age 30, Jeanette believes she is on this earth to serve. Her purpose is to share love, support, education and remind women that no matter of their situations, they have dignity. In 2019 she was nominated, recognized and won ACHI magazine’s Woman on The Rise Award Winner representing her city of Charlotte, North Carolina.
To reach out to her, make a cash, purse or personal items donation email: purseforlove@gmail.com
If you want to donate a candle to a victim go to www. Skin2soullotioncandlesclt.com
Jeanette McKinnon prides herself as a mother, entrepreneur, daughter, sister, friend and VICTOR! She calls herself a victor because she survived being a victim. Born in Portsmouth Virginia, Jeannette moved to Savannah, Ga at age 17, and lived there for over 20 years. She currently resides in Charlotte, NC where she decided to turn her pain into purpose. Allowing herself to be a vessel, to save others from domestic violence and lie her skeletons on the table as a blueprint to show domestic violence victims that she got through all this and they can too. She developed purse of love 18 months ago as a tribute to her late son and herself for getting out of her violent situation. Through Purse for love, in an attempt to lift up and encourage those dealing with domestic violence, she collects the handbags, fills them with love and various items and necessities and blesses others. She considers it her job, mission and purpose to remind these ladies to keep their head up so their crowns won’t fall. To reach out to her, make a cash, purse or personal items donation email: purseforlove@gmail.com If you want to donate a candle to a victim go to www.Skin2soullotioncandlesclt.com