A New Jersey woman whose mother was a victim of domestic violence says that she is finding ways to raise awareness of the issue and to give back.

Sarah Ripoli says that by the time she was 5-years-old she had already seen her mother abused by her father.

“My mom…fell asleep next to me and my dad came in the middle of the night...and just grabbed her by her hair on like her scalp and just dragged her like out from my bed, like dragged her down like the hall, back to their room,” Ripoli says.

In April of 1999, when Ripoli was 6, she says that she was downstairs in her father’s home when she heard him shoot and kill her mother.

“The last thing that I heard was her scream, ‘Frank, no!’” Ripoli says.

The father turned himself in to the police.

“That day, I kind of just like lost both my parents,” Ripoli says. “It took me, I don’t know, almost 20 years to really grieve.”

Fueled by her love for her mother, Ripoli created the “Angel Energy” clothing line – 25% of all proceeds are donated to domestic violence charities.

“By supporting Angel Energy and being a part of the movement, it’s just showing everybody else that they’re not alone,” she says.

Advocates say that this is especially important during the current COVID-19 pandemic, as many are forced to stay at home.

Jalesa Tucker of One Love, a foundation to which Angel Energy has donated, says that if anyone is in an abusive relationship, “Step 1 is definitely to reach out for help to a qualified domestic violence coordinator…As you’re doing that, also educated yourself about the signs of abuse, just so that you know for yourself that what you experienced is valid.”

A portion of the proceeds from Angel Energy’s sales next month will be donated to a Monmouth County nonprofit.