After mother’s death, daughters launch domestic violence foundation
After their mother died at the hands of her fiancé, the two sisters wanted to do something to honor her memory. With the help of family, they created a foundation to raise awareness and support victims of domestic violence.
The Infinite Support Against Domestic Violence The Mary Washington Jones Foundation provides support to those facing or at risk of domestic violence.
“We believe that everyone deserves relationships free from domestic violence. We as a foundation strive to assist individuals in safely overcoming domestic violence and provide assistance to achieve healthy outcomes,” according to the foundation’s mission statement.
Mary Washington-Jones and Tony Wilson met when they were students at Dunbar-Pulaski Middle School in Gary some 40 years ago, and became sweethearts. When Wilson moved to California for high school, they were pen pals.
Washington-Jones, who recently retired after 31 years working for the State of Indiana with Child Protective Services, had two daughters — Donyetta Washington, 36, and DaNetra Washington, 33 — and a granddaughter. In 2018, Washington-Jones and Wilson reconnected and eventually got engaged, her daughters said.
Four months ago, on Feb. 27, Gary police officers responded to the area of 15th Avenue and Martin Luther King Drive shortly after midnight after receiving a call of a suspicious vehicle that was parked in the street with its hazard lights on “for some time,” police said.
Officers saw Washington-Jones, 55, and Wilson, 56, dead inside the vehicle. Police officials investigated the case as a “domestic-related murder-suicide,” according to a news release.
Washington-Jones would’ve turned 56 years old on July 4th. To celebrate her birthday, a balloon release and car parade will be held at 15th Avenue and Martin Luther King Drive, DaNetra said.
In the spring, DaNetra said three of their cousins asked if the sisters
would meet them for lunch or dinner a few times, but they kept postponing. On Mother’s Day, DaNetra said, their cousins asked if they could come over, but given the emotion of the day, the sisters weren’t up to having company.
They were determined to meet, so the five of them agreed to connect virtually, said Ayanna Washington, Washington-Jones’ niece.
“I showed the article of corporation with the name of the foundation,” said Ayanna, who helped set up the foundation. “We just told them what we want to do, what our vision was, and we asked them what part they want to play in it.”
DaNetra said she and her sister were planning on starting a foundation or organization of some kind to honor their mother — DaNetra even started sketching a logo for a potential project — so they were so excited their cousins took this initiative.
“That was a great Mother’s Day gift,” Donyetta said.
The foundation’s board of directors are Donyetta, DaNetra, Ayanna and Chantia Gordon, Washington-Jones’ great niece, and Charisse Crossley, Washington-Jones’ niece.
Its first goal, DaNetra said, was to clean the area where their mother died so that the memorial is visible. Ayanna said she worked with the city to get approval for the site to be maintained twice a month.
In the short-term, DaNetra said, the foundation’s goals include raising awareness around domestic violence, connecting with the community through food pantries and soup kitchens and providing meal and clothing assistance.
“We want to just put our names out there and be able to help in different communities where we can. We want to just do different events for the communities and try to do giveaways,” Ayanna said. “The main goal is for people to be aware that we’re there for them.”
Overall, according to the foundation’s mission, its goal is to provide crisis intervention, risk assessments and safety planning, case management services and crisis and ongoing domestic violence referrals.
In domestic violence situations, the abusers are usually, “charismatic, charming and well liked,” Ryan Elinkowski, the executive director of St. Jude House, a Crown Point shelter, previously said.
“You would never know what happens behind closed doors,” Elinkowski previously said, adding people “wouldn’t really know” or see signs of emotional abuse, either.
Elinkowski said comparing domestic violence fatalities between March to December 2019 and March to December in 2020, domestic violence deaths have increased 102%, according to recent studies.
The sister’s are still left wondering what led to their mother’s death, Donyetta said, because Washington-Jones always took safety seriously and did not like staying out late. Getting answers is impossible, she said, because Wilson is also dead and was the only other person in the vehicle.
Initially, Wilson connected with the family, going to DaNetra’s daughter’s dance recitals and meeting their mother’s former co-workers, DaNetra said. Donyetta lived with the couple in Portage and said there were no signs of abuse.
But, thinking back on the relationship, DaNetra said she realized that Wilson was obsessive, jealous and clingy toward Washington-Jones.
Given the pandemic, when Washington-Jones worked from home before retiring and Wilson was laid off from work, DaNetra said Wilson’s characteristics and staying home likely didn’t mix.
“I don’t think that was a good combination,” DaNetra said.
The sisters want the foundation to be a resource to the community because “we don’t want this to happen to anyone else,” Donyetta said.
“I know what the signs are now, but its too late,” DaNetra said.