Domestic violence can happen to anyone.

It can be the soccer mom who wears long-sleeve shirts even when it is 80 degrees outside, or the man who keeps saying he can’t go out when his friends ask to hang out.

“Unfortunately, domestic violence that is one of those issues that is still very rampant in our society and it’s also become more rampant since the pandemic hit and people were forced to stay inside with their abusers,” said Tammy Rodgers of the Domestic Violence Awareness Center. “We’re seeing that it goes across all genders. It doesn’t matter if it’s male, female, transgender. The older generation as well.”

To help bring light to this, Carbon County officials have named October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month in the county.

During the county commissioners’ meeting recently, the board adopted a proclamation in honor of raising awareness about domestic violence. Domestic violence is a serious problem all over the world and the Domestic Violence Service Center has worked diligently to support and help women who have been victims of abuse.

Commissioner Chris Lukasevich thanked Rodgers for all the work the center does to help victims.

The proclamation recognizes the Domestic Violence Service Center, which began as the Women Center task force in 1977.

In June 1978, the task force was incorporated as the Domestic Violence Service Center, which serves Carbon County today. Since then, the purpose of the Domestic Violence Service Center has been to work toward the elimination of domestic violence.

Rodgers thanked the commissioners for their continued support of the agency because the cases are getting more severe.

In Carbon County, physical abuse cases are up and there have already been three homicides as a result of domestic violence.

In neighboring Luzerne, which DVSC also serves, their site needs to expand because it is at capacity for people who need a place to stay.

The center provides services including legal advocacy to victims of domestic violence, court accompaniment to PFA hearings, community support groups, one-on-one counseling and more. All services are free and confidential.

She said that the center is available at anytime to someone who needs help as a result of domestic violence.

Anyone who is a victim of domestic violence and physical, mental and emotional abuse can call the center’s 24-hour hotline at 800-424-5600.

“It gets people right to a counselor advocate, it is manned 24/7, we never close,” Rodgers said. “You’re not going to get an answering system. There is someone there to talk to.”