Officials said one in three women and one in seven men experience violent close personal relationships. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. In Morehead and surrounding communities, Doves of Gateway serves to aid survivors of these situations.
Officials said people are considered victims of domestic violence when they experience one or more incidents of any type of physical, verbal, emotional, mental, physical, financial, sexual, or spiritual abuse.
Melissa Cooper, the associate director at Doves of Gateway, said they help an average of 700-800 people every year.
“If someone needs our service, we can offer them a safe shelter for them and their children to stay in while they’re getting back on their feet, individual and group counseling, housing advocacy, legal advocacy, transportation assistance,” she said. “Anything that they are going to need while they’re here to become self-sufficient, we will make sure that we provide.”
Cooper added filing an Emergency Protective Order or Interpersonal Protective Order with a district judge can help keep domestic violence victims safe. They will have legal support and the ability to press charges if the abuser attempts to continue their behavior.
Cooper said the first thing the organization wants to do for someone who is attempting to leave an abusive relationship is establish a safety plan. Then, they provide services to help them move on with their lives.
“As far as becoming independent, you know, what does that look like for that person? Do we need to help them find a job? Do we need to do a resume with them? Do we need to help them with housing? Whatever it is going to look like on their end,” said Cooper. “If they want to go back to school, we’ll help them fill out a FASFA, whatever it's going to look like for them to get back on their feet and become independent.”
Cooper added that those with friends or family suffering domestic abuse should provide patience and support while letting them know there is help available.
October 17 is Purple Day. Doves of Gateway asks the community to wear purple in support and awareness of domestic violence. They are also hosting an online auction October 21-24 with the proceeds going towards victims.
More information is at dovesofgateway.org.