Agnes, who through this ordeal, continues to be the gracious and courageous person that she has always been, gives thanks to the many people whose hands have helped her through this journey: from the hands of the doctors and nurses who tended to her wounds night and day, to the hands that helped her re-learn how to walk and talk, touched in prayer and lifted her spirit and help her heal still. For those hands, she thanks God every day...
Agnes, along with her family and friends are now launching a campaign to help bring awareness to the dangers of domestic abuse that people in relationships face every day regardless of race, age, sex, education and income.
We often don’t know how fortunate we are until we are faced with a crisis of life and death. After those dark days in June of last year when we didn’t know whether Agnes would survive the fire, I got a vision of a circle of hands holding my sister. I didn’t know why that vision came to me but I thought -- some day, I want to set that vision on paper. That is how a Village of Hands came to be.
It was a village of hands that has brought us to this page. Many hands have helped Agnes and the family. People that we know and people that we don’t know. Many people who met Agnes at the hospital were drawn to her courage and gentleness. There were days when she was strapped to her bed in order for her to heal and yet, she found the words to encourage others.
To those friends who were there for us when we were lost, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
To the nurses, doctors and aides at Jacobi Medical Center who labored day and night, often above and beyond the call of duty, we thank you. It was with love that you held our Agnes in your hands throughout the darkness. When we felt hopeless and in despair, you gave us cause to continue. You gave us words of encouragement that rang true. 
To Dee, Yoly, Vickie, Maggie, Lil, Maria, Cuca, Mirtha, Lea, Gerry, Gelo, Norma, Little Agnes, Esther, Carmen, Chely, Claudio, Angelo, Adam, Lucy, Sonia, thank you for your support and God Bless You…
Special thanks to Julian who captured our cause to help Agnes and others like her in his drawing that has become our logo. Special thanks to David McGruder who stood unwavering before the Court and the world and proclaimed that Agnes would not be victimized a second time.
The Village of Hands in c/o Agnes J. Bermudez
P.O. Box 108
Walden, NY 12586
(718) 502-9302
fax (347) 571-9088
Email: VillageofHands@AOL.com
