Sherry Somerville exemplified the Rotary Club’s motto of “service above self” when she spoke to the Hinesville club Sept. 30. She talked about her journey from marital abuse and debilitating co-dependency to emotional well-being and spiritual wholeness through the Fraser Counseling Center.
Somerville is the daughter of Dr. Whit Fraser, the center's namesake and prominent Liberty County doctor who helped evolve area healthcare treatments.
Fraser opened his center in 1986 and established the Christian-based Mary Lou Foundation for Families Inc., named in memory of his wife, for professional, individual and family counseling services.
"My parents' dream is alive and well ... but my passion for the Fraser Center is very personal," Sommerville said.
She explained how her first marriage had her living a life of fear in her own home.
Somerville found she was not alone and credits the Fraser Center for radically changing her life.
"The Fraser Center provided me a safe place to find the hope in my situation," Somerville said.
The counseling services she received helped Somerville learn to value and affirm herself.
"I recognized I was a survivor and not a victim," she said.
Describing herself as a caregiver by nature, Somer-ville wanted to help broken families.
"The heart of the Fraser Cen-ter was to provide service to all residents," Somerville said.
The Fraser Center accepts most private insurance and makes payment plans available for those who need them.
Somerville said the organization also set up a scholarship program in 2006. The organization does what it can to make sure no one is turned away for inability to pay.
Upcoming Fraser Center Friends' Tours will give the public a chance to view the facility and learn more about the services offered.
The hour-long tours will start at 6 p.m. Oct. 13 and 8 a.m. Oct. 23.
For more information, call 369-7777.