BELLEVUE -- Krystal will never get the violent image out of her head. She was just 11 years old and watched helplessly as her father to swing after swing.

"He came in the night very late and he just violently and ferociously beat up my mother," said Krystal, who asked that her last name not be used. "I watched it."

Her mother survived the attack and she and Krystal went into hiding. They found help at Youth Eastside Services in Bellevue.

When a child is around domestic violence he or she is at risk.

"Looking for attention in all the wrong places," Krystal said of what it's like. "People will turn to drugs, alcohol, gang bang behavior."

Krystal, now 23, got the help she needed. She now works as a domestic violence advocate.

And she's happy to watch the headquarters building for Youth Eastside Services being torn down, because its removal is the first step in constructing a bigger and better building that will serve even more people.

"It's terribly exciting for us to do this," said Dave Downing, Associate Director for Youth Eastside Services.

Each year the program helps 24,000 kids and their families.

The ground breaking for the new facility is scheduled for the end of July, and the new building should be completed by the fall of 2008.

"Life is good now." says Krystal, "thanks to these guys for sure."

For More Information:

http://www.youtheastsideservices.org/ or 425-747-4937.