LIFESTYLE

West Virginia-based group invites women to climb aboard the freedom bus

West Virginia-based group invites women to climb aboard the freedom bus

ALICIA NOTARIANNI anotarianni@herald-mail.com
The Herald-Mail

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — The state motto of West Virginia, “Montani semper liberi,” translates in English to “Mountaineers are always free.”

Too many residents of the state, however, are not free, Jennifer Silbert said. They are enslaved to abusive and toxic relationships, and financial, physical, relational, intellectual or emotional bondage. In response, a group called Libera (pronounced “Li-bee-rah” ) formed during October 2014 with a mission to provide a wholistic, multi-faceted approach for women to address those barriers and to find freedom.

“‘Libera’ is like a feminized version of the ‘liberi,’” Silbert said. “It represents the community we are serving, which primarily is women. ‘Libera’ is intended to represent freedom.”

Founded in the Morgantown, W.Va., area, Libera is based out of a blue, re-fashioned, mini-school bus that travels from county to county throughout the state. Silbert serves as the Eastern Panhandle representative for the group.

“The group started in response to some surveys that revealed the state of women and freedom in West Virginia,” Silbert said. “The purpose of group is really to help women find freedom, in a nutshell, as a result of the statistics.”

Presence of sex slavery and human trafficking were factored in to the group’s consideration of freedom for women, as well as a low level of financial independence. Some of the people served struggle with addiction issues including substance abuse. Others might be less visible bondage, Silbert said, such as low self-esteem as the result of verbally abusive input from a family member.

In a survey conducted by the group with several hundred women, between 64 and 92 percent said they struggled with health and freedom in six specific areas, namely emotional, relational, spiritual, intellectual, financial and physical aspects of life.

“It’s really a tall order to address from a wholistic standpoint. Too many women are living in poverty. We want to be part of the solution to free woman,” Silbert said.

Libera works with women and teen girls.

“We are finding more teens, as a subset, living in bondage of some sort,” she said.

The group aims to provide connections to mentors, resources, workshops and volunteer opportunities that will enable women to find and build “identity, strength, purpose and freedom,” Silbert said.

Connections

A main component of Libera is to provide volunteers to serve as listening ears to the stories of women. The nonprofit uses a scripted model for coaching women through a six-week program. Most meetings occur on the blue bus, which is parked in lots of stores, libraries, churches or other public places with permission.

“Inside, it’s decorated to be warm and cozy. It’s bright, colorful and mobile,” Silbert said. “What goes on inside is really listening. Women need somebody to tell their stories to. We have a trained corps of volunteer listeners who just listen to women’s stories.”

Most women served by Libera are aware of the group by word of mouth. Some are referred by churches or other community groups.

“Once we connect with them, we start encouraging them to open up and share their stories,” Silbert said. “We teach them to listen to themselves, to become aware of the lies that often are stirring around in the head and that perpetuate self-sabotaging behaviors that keep you stuck in the same place of bondage.”

Once participants most pertinent needs are named, Libera volunteers begin helping them brainstorm resources the will help them in practical ways.

Strategy

“When I first heard of the group, I thought it sounded very idealistic. I thought, “but how will you have an impact?’” Silbert said.

The group’s scripted coaching program, in part, answered that question for her. Based on a chronological process of the acronym, “Libera — listen, illuminate, believe, envision, reach, alight,” participants receive coaching to establish and move toward their goals.

Silbert, who works as a health and wellness coach, said services provided by Libera to the women of West Virginia is similar to life coaching. The program offers a scripted model of questions and answers that directs and leads women on a path toward freedom, she said.

“We have discussions, questions, and we send them off with homework. It is like free life coaching,” she said. “People pay a lot of money for this if they go to an actual life coach.”

While there are numerous stories of women’s lives being improved through the work of Libera, Silbert said, she was especially struck by the story a 19-year-old woman who has dropped out of college.

“She had always been a high achiever. On the outside, you would never think this girl was struggling at all. You would never imagine the she didn’t have everything all together,” she said.

Still, as she proceeded through the program, the young woman began to share that she had been “living this lie of just not being good enough.”

“Sometimes even the highest achievers have the worst self-image,” Silbert said. “We want to help women cut through that and move beyond.”

In addition to the six-week program, Libera provides workshops for college students and young adults, as well as a teen Libera group for eighth-grade girls. The group has done events to promote awareness of human trafficking, and provided sponsorship for women’s health events as a partner with other organizations.

Goals

Karen Haring is founder and executive director of Libera. According to Sibert, group has an advisory board and a board of directors, and receives funding through grants. It is thriving in some areas of West Virginia, but it is fledgling and just getting on its feet in the Eastern Panhandle. Success in other counties of the state began largely by word of mouth.

“We are looking for referrals, oftentimes going to churches, shelters, and other social service organizations. We want to connect with women who are in a state of bondage and need some help,” Silbert said.

A lot of women suffer quietly, she said, and require a safe place and some encouragement to open up.

“Some are really uncomfortable telling their story. They want to keep it a secret. We want to help them bring it to the light and to become free,” Silbert said.

Martinsburg will serve as Libera’s primary point of contact for the Eastern Panhandle. The group is working to forge partnerships with churches and organizations in the area.

“Since we are a mobile service and new in this area, some are still learning about us and what we do. But they are getting to know us and they are supportive,” Silbert said.

Libera hopes to begin a six-week series in Martinsburg beginning at the end of March. It plans to park the bus, which holds up to ten people, at the Daily Grind coffee shop on Foxcroft Avenue. Women with depression, anxiety or other challenges are invited to register.

“We want to develop a small group with a sense of intimacy, trust and anonymity. There are lives that have been transformed at the end of this six-week program,” she said. “Sometimes the battlefield is the mind. We want to help break through that to a place of hope and freedom.”

For more information about Libera, go to LiberaWv.com; call or text 304-319-0970; or email liberawv@gmail.com.

The blue Libera bus travels throughout West Virginia to talk to women and help those who need help.
Jennifer Silbert is the Eastern Panhandle representative for Libera, which helps women throughout West Virginia.
Women meet on the blue Libera bus to discuss issues that affect them.