Alli (Arms) Arney is a Blackman high school alumnus who has contributed more than her fair share within Blackman and continued it forward throughout her career. Today Arney works for a nonprofit organization, Resurrecting Robin, helping survivors of domestic violence to regain and restore a more precious and love-filled life.

“I truly believe that our ability to provide volunteer resources and services to domestic violence shelters and programs is a unique way to help our community,” said Arney. “We’re a safety net to the shelters so that they can continue to be a safety net for survivors. Because we work through the shelters and community outreach programs, there’s no way for us to truly quantify how many lives Resurrecting Robin has impacted directly and indirectly.”

In 2006, Arney, a former writer for The Blackman Voice, was inspired by a community service idea that started as a hat and glove drive for the homeless.

“We [Voice staff] were looking for a cause to support and get the school involved in, and honestly, the hat and glove drive just wasn’t where God was leading the article,” said Alli.

With this in mind, Arney and Lois Walker, a journalism teacher at Blackman High school, discussed different proposals and decided to sponsor a whole family for Christmas. After much research, Alli states that the only place at the time to do this was through a domestic shelter in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

“Immediately, God lit the spark in my heart for Resurrecting Robin. The vision was born and we knew this was going to be something incredible,” said Alli.

The Blackman Voice along with Renaissance, National Honor Society, and Key Club worked together to sponsor a family within the shelter. Continuing into its 10th year, Resurrecting Robin affects hundreds of families daily and continues to strengthen the lives of survivors who break free from domestic violence. “Domestic violence affects 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men … the mental and emotional effects of domestic violence are wounds that are just as traumatic as the bruises and broken bones. Domestic violence does not cater to any demographic. It is a serious epidemic that isn’t pretty or flashy.” For more information on Resurrecting Robin, go to http://www.resurrectingrobin.com/.

“Resurrecting Robin will continue, expand, and make a major impact in the stand against domestic violence because we know our unique approach to this epidemic is making a change. And for me personally, I will continue my work with Resurrecting Robin for decades to come for the sheer possibility of being a helping factor in saving just one more life, freeing just one more survivor, and stopping just one more abuser,” stated Arney, founder of Resurrecting Robin.

If you or anyone you know is suffering from domestic violence, including any form of physical, mental, or verbal abuse, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-SAFE(7233).