Carol Adams was accustomed to being woken at night by yelling and fighting from the next room—an almost nightly pattern. But on Dec. 30, 1980, that pattern took a darker turn. Instead of screams, she heard gunshots. Her mother was killed and her father served just 18 months of a seven-year prison sentence for the crime. That night, Adams and her sister were left to fend for themselves, but it did not break her spirit. Instead, it fueled her determination to make a difference.

The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence reports that 1.3 million American women experience domestic violence annually, with Black women nearly three times more likely to die from it. Silence only worsens this cycle, as many face cultural pressures to stay quiet and have little trust in law enforcement to protect them.

“The reasons for domestic violence in the Black community are so complex,” Adams said.“It’s how our cake was baked—slavery, child abuse, male absenteeism, alcohol, drug use, untreated mental illness—it’s just more prevalent in our community.

As a police officer, Adams began to understand the dynamics and restrictions of the system. So in 2014, she founded the Carol Adams Foundation to help victims make and execute an exit plan.

“I provide a listening ear,” she said. “Victims have to get to that place where they have a plan. I can’t convince anyone to leave. I can only support them by providing resources because victims live in crisis. You can’t make a plan when you’re in crisis.”

Surviving the trauma of  domestic violence is also a struggle. Adams’ trauma is triggered by yelling and screaming. She’s learned to separate from the event until things calm down. It’s a nervous condition, but she relies on her coping skills, listens to healing music and practices mindfulness.

“One piece of the madness ended when my mother was killed,” she said. “The other piece was that my sister and I were left alone.”

Adams wanted to join the Air Force and become a pilot before her mother was killed.

She hasn’t given up on getting her pilot’s license and plans to pursue it. A self-described daredevil, Adams purchased a small, fast car. She travels extensively and relishes the fact that she has the resources to do the things she wants to do.

“I’m doing things for my mother and grandmother,” she said. “My grandmother had no running water and no electricity. My mother couldn’t do what she wanted to do because of the situation she was in, and she didn’t live long enough. At my core, I’m free.”

Meet a child survivor of domestic violence who helps victims and children make plans for a better life and this week’s Personality, Carol Adams:

Volunteer position: Founder, Carol Adams Foundation (CAFI).

Occupation: Captain with Petersburg Bureau of Police.

Date and place of birth: July 10 in Emporia.

Where I live now: Petersburg.

Education: Bachelor’s in human resource management and leadership from the University of Richmond.

Family: Two daughters, one son and five grandchildren.

What is the Carol Adams Foundation: We are a non-profit organization. Our mission is to provide emergency assistance to victims of domestic violence. Through the foundation, women, men and children will have a temporary safety net that will enable them to live violence-free and have the opportunity to become self-sufficient.

When and why I founded: CAFI was established in April 2014 to provide aid to people in distress, emergency shelter, workforce development, emergency financial support, transitional housing, referral mental health support and children services.

Domestic violence is: Violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or co-habitation. Domestic violence is often used as a synonym for intimate partner violence, which is committed by one of the people in an intimate relationship against the other person, and can take place in relationships or between former spouses or partners. In its broadest sense, domestic violence also involves violence against children, parents, or the elderly. It can assume multiple forms, including physical, verbal, emotional, economic, religious, reproductive, financial, sexual or any combination of these.

Carol Adams Foundation partners: Project Give Back to the Community, Jesus Christ Church of Latter-Day Saints, VCU– Healthy Communities for Youth, Nehemiah House of Prayer, Reynolds Foundation, Mosque No. 24, Buffalo Soldiers of RVA, Tuskegee Airmen of RVA, Engine Company No. 9 & Associates, Broad Rock Baptist Church Women’s Ministry, Beauty Empire Richmond, Keeshae Jacobs Foundation, New Canaan International Church, Puttin Communities Together and referral partners such as the YWCA, Safe Harbor and James House.

Funding: We are funded 80% by the community.

Why Carol Adams Foundation continues to remain necessary since our founding 10 years ago: The relationships established during crisis afford us the opportunity to continue working with families on various levels. Our ongoing services for both parents and children are not restricted to a defined time.

The work continues beyond the crisis.

Free CAFI programs: Transportation assistance, transitional housing, emergency housing, clothing, furniture, groceries, emergency financial assistance, parenting classes, support group sessions and Children services, including out-of-school activities. We also provide court ordered services for children and adults, workforce development assistance and domestic violence training consulting worldwide.

Our No. 1 goal or project: Build a campus on 20 acres of land and multipurpose building for housing and programs.

No. 1 challenge: Having our own property and facility.

How I’ve seen the Carol Adams Foundation impact lives: Rebuilding confidence in those who we assist, the transition from crisis to empowered, and employed, broadened experiences for both children and parents.

How to volunteer with the Carol Adams Foundation: Visit our website or call (804) 218-2866.

How to get immediate help: Email us at cafoundation@icloud.com or call (804) 218-2866.

Upcoming event details: Ten year anniversary celebration of the Carol Adams Foundation, Inc. on Nov. 23 at 3300 Broad Rock Blvd. from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

How I start the day: Morning meditation, thankful prayer, no calls, texts, or emails.

Three words that best describe me: Optimistic, adventurous and empathetic.

If I had 10 extra minutes in the day: I’d spend it trying to help with a community-based project.

Best late-night snack: Kiwi.

Top three on my playlist: Greg Amos, Black Violins and Madison Kelly.

Something I love to do that most people would never imagine: Race car driving

Words that inspire me: “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou.

At top of my “to-do” list: Continue serving God and the people he called the least of them.

Best thing my parents taught me: Make every second count — tomorrow is not guaranteed.

Person who influenced me the most: My grandmother, Mary D. Powell.

Most influential book: “The Shack” William P. Young.

What I’m reading now: “The Rewired Brain” by Margaret Rukstalis and A.J. Gregory.

Next goal: Bachelor’s in aviation.