Domestic violence is an epidemic that doesn’t care about the color of your skin or how much money you make. It affects four million women a year in the U.S., according to the National Domestic Violence Hotline. The staggering statistics don’t end there: On average, more than three women are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends every day. One out of three women around the world has been beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused during her lifetime. Ninety-two percent of women say that reducing domestic violence and sexual assault should be at the top of any formal efforts taken on behalf of women today—and that’s just what places like Genesis Women’s Shelter in Dallas, Texas are trying to do.

When Jan Langbein began volunteering at Genesis almost two decades ago her first impression was surprise.

“I didn’t know that women who looked like me or lived near me [could be victims of abuse],” says Langbein. “I was absolutely stunned when I realized that domestic violence is such an equal opportunity epidemic.” Langbein soon turned her part-time project into a full-time passion when she became Genesis’ Executive Director, a position she’s held for fifteen-and–a-half years.