Letter to the Editor
To the Editor:
Domestic Violence Awareness Month
It’s that woman, and she is writing about Domestic Violence Awareness again!! Why doesn’t she stop? It is so sad, we don’t know anyone in that situation, do we?
She continues to write about domestic violence because it continues to happen and to take the lives of men, women and children in our state, nation, and the world every day.
Domestic violence will affect one in four women’s lives and one in seven men’s lives, not to mention the children’s lives that become collateral damage in the process and the whole families that are often destroyed as well, yet we rarely hear anything about October being Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
In 2020, Minnesota had 30 domestic homicides, and so far in 2021, there have been 23 deaths, with ten or so weeks to go. Fortunately, none of them have been in our county, but we have had domestic homicides in the past.
This year, Hands of Hope has worked with 64 first time victim/survivors of domestic violence, and each of them does live in this county. If my math is correct, that is a little over five new victims a month, five people who need assistance in learning how they can stay in that relationship safely or that need help to leave an abusive situation.
They are tired of living with someone that needs to have power and control over their partner. These survivors want to feel safe and to live free of violence and constant fear.
One can’t make a victim leave until they decide they are ready, but at that point, we need to be there to listen and support them, while being aware of our own safety.
If the situation is too frightening or volatile, you can call 911 for assistance. If it is not an extreme situation, you can refer them to Hands of Hope Resource Center to speak to trained advocates in a safe, “free”, and confidential environment, to just talk or to find help with resources, file a court order, have someone to accompany them to an interview with law enforcement or a medical exam.
To contact Hands of Hope, call our office at 320-732-2319, our crisis line after hours at 800-682-4547 or online at www.handsofhope.net.
Stay safe,
Connie Nelson,
Victim Advocate, Hands of
Hope Resource Center,
Todd County
Yorumlar