Proclamation, event bring attention to Domestic Violence Awareness Month

As fall festivals and Halloween prep becomes the focus for many in October, DeKalb County officials are taking steps to put emphasis on domestic violence awareness.

Commissioners Steve Bradshaw of District 4 and Michelle Long Spears of District 2 co-sponsored a proclamation, along with the board of commissioners and CEO Michael Thurmond, recognizing October as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month at the board of commissioners meeting held Oct. 10.

“It will take all of us doing everything we can do to eradicate domestic violence and that requires (working with) leadership, survivors, community leaders, law enforcement and healthcare providers,” said Bradshaw.

To that end, hundreds of people are expected to gather in downtown Decatur on Oct. 19 to join the Women’s Resource Center to End Domestic Violence (WRCDV) for its 32nd Annual Candlelight Vigil at 7 p.m. at the bandstand located behind the Decatur MARTA Station.

The nonprofit, based in Decatur, started in the 1980s after Gwendolyn Ann Turnbough was murdered by her abuser after contacting the DeKalb County District Attorney for help. “That same month, Commissioner Sherry Schulman established the DeKalb County Domestic Violence Task Force to investigate the issue in our county,” states the WRCDV website. “After several months of study, the task force determined a need for additional domestic violence resources, system changes, and a greater emphasis on community education. To meet that need, the county granted funds to create a victim service agency and the Women’s Resource Center was born.”

According to a fact sheet published by WRCDV, the nonprofit provides direct services to more than 5,000 survivors of domestic violence. Services include a domestic violence hotline, legal advocacy, emergency safe house access, financial assistance for domestic abuse survivors, a location that provides safe, supervised visitation with children, a camp for children who have experienced domestic violence and community education campaigns.

“Domestic violence survivors need to hear, see, and feel our support,” said Spears. “All of us must stand up against domestic violence. It’s time to take action, speak up, and ensure survivors receive the support they need to heal and become whole again.”

To learn about the help that the Women’s Resource Center to End Domestic Violence provides and the resources available to domestic violence survivors, contact WRCDV at 404-688-9436. Help is available 24 hours a day.

For more information, visit https://www.dekalbcountyga.gov/police-services/domestic-violence-elder-abuse-unit.