Service providers in Pa. are standing by to help people experiencing domestic violence during the holidays

• Gabriela Martínez/WITF
  BioRecent Stories

  

  I cover Latino communities in central Pennsylvania with a special focus on Reading and other cities where Spanish-speaking communities are growing rapidly. My stories explore the impact of language barriers, labor issues, the growth of Latino political power through grassroots efforts and many other things.
  
  I’m a native Spanish speaker myself. I grew up in the San Juan area of Puerto Rico. The English I know now, I learned mostly thanks to watching a lot of TV growing up, mostly Nickelodeon shows. I also learned Russian in college, which I perfected during my time teaching English in southern Siberia through the Fulbright Program.
  
  In my free time I like to hike, hang out with my two cats, Yanka and Ruben Blades, and watch every awful horror movie I can find.

 Ed Mahon / PA Post

A quilt hangs in the office of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence, outside Harrisburg, on Nov. 20, 2019.

Holidays bring joy — but can also bring stress that can lead to domestic violence.

That’s why some service providers in the area are making sure their services remain available 24 hours a day.

Factors such as money, drinking and family gatherings can make abuse that was already taking place get worse, according to Stacey Jordan, chief outreach officer for Safe Berks. One of the ways to prepare is to create a safety plan, Jordan said.

“If a person calls, we help them to identify maybe some safe people in their life, who can provide some support,“ Jordan said. “Can they possibly pack a bag and keep it at their home? Do they have someone who is able to provide transportation when they are ready to get out?”

Safe Berks operates a 24-hour hotline and crisis service with trained staff members who can connect people to emergency shelter, legal services or help come up with a safety plan. A Medical Advocacy Partnership Program sends an advocate to hospitals to help those hurt as a result of domestic violence or sexual assault. A staff member is stationed at the courthouse to help those seeking a Protection from Abuse Order from 7 p.m. until midnight. 

Photo courtesy of Safe Berks

Safe Berks has its main office in Reading.

Domestic Violence Services of Cumberland and Perry has similar services, including emergency shelter. Staff members are there to answer the phone, even late in the evening on holidays. Executive Director Sonya Browne said she has not seen an uptick in people seeking help during this season, but services stay the same as the rest of the year.

“I noticed there were a couple shifts done over the holidays where people just wanted to talk, and so our staff, if they have time, they’re there for that also,” Browne said.

The data on whether domestic violence increases during the holidays is inconclusive, some domestic violence advocates have noted. 

National Domestic Violence hotline, which fields domestic violence calls from different states, does not track individual reports and incidents of domestic violence. The hotline’s latest impact report does show there has been an increase of people reaching out for help annually for the last three years.

Here are other places that provide emergency domestic violence support, including during the holidays.

A collection of interviews, photos, and music videos, featuring local musicians who have stopped by the WITF performance studio to share a little discussion and sound. Produced by WITF’s Joe Ulrich.

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