CLEARFIELD – On Tuesday the Clearfield County Commissioners proclaimed October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
Crossroads, a Community Action Inc. project, provides 24-hour assistance to victims of domestic violence and their friends and families in Clearfield and Jefferson counties.
Crossroads helps with safety planning and counseling services as well as provides assistance with obtaining Protection from Abuse orders, emergency shelter locations and a telephone hotline.
“We’ve been extremely busy this year,” said Marsha Learish, legal advocacy coordinator. “Unfortunately, these situations are keeping us in business.”
According to her in 2015-16, Crossroads has had 851 new female victims and 181 new male victims contact the agency’s staff. So far, staff members have provided 3,736 hours of counseling and received 2,346 phone contacts.
“To look at these numbers, for me, it’s staggering, especially considering the staff we have,” she said.
“We have a 24-hour hotline, two shelters and two legal offices and four legal counselor advocates and five or six shelter workers.”
She noted their legal office has assisted with 275 PFAs this year, which involves making a petition, obtaining a temporary order, getting notice of a hearing and having it finalized by the court.
Learish also called attention to the fact that two female domestic violence victims were killed by their abusers this year. Domestic violence, she said, fills the news and while there are male and female victims, females tend to be the victims.
“I don’t see this problem being addressed, and if anything, it seems like the legality has risen,” she said.
Commissioner Mark B. McCracken felt it was very important for someone to be there for the victims and to help them through the court system. Despite services in place, lives are still lost, and everyone is an advocate for more protection, he said.
“We do appreciate the work you do,” he added. “These aren’t happy stories as you’re interacting with people when they’re in the worst situation they can be in.”
Commissioner Tony Scotto encouraged friends and family to offer support to domestic violence victims in hopes that they come forward and to help prevent them from “becoming a statistic.”