CLEARLAKE, Calif. – “Domestic Violence Awareness Month” was recently designated in the city of Clearlake, with community members urged to support efforts of agencies assisting victims of domestic violence and increase their involvement in efforts to prevent it.
Representatives of Lake Family Resource Center were on hand Oct. 8 at Clearlake City Hall to accept the proclamation presented by Vice Mayor Gina Fortino Dickson.
An event to raise awareness of domestic violence will be held Saturday, Oct. 24, at Kelseyville Presbyterian Church.
The “Because We Have Daughters” workshop invites father and daughters – girls ages 10 to 18 – to join in the interactive event.
“The intent of this event is to give fathers the opportunity to understand their daughters better and to help take a stand at ending violence in women's lives,” Sheri Young, LFRC program manager, said. “We are actually opening the invitation to any male role model who has a significant young female in his life.”
According to the proclamation presented, in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2015, Lake County law enforcement agencies responded to more than 409 incidents of the domestic violence.
In the past year, the Victim Witness Division of the Lake County District Attorney's Office served more than 377 victims, prosecuting 68 felonies and 182 misdemeanor acts of domestic violence.
Additionally, Lake Family Resource Center responded to 335 crisis line calls, served victims and sheltered 101 domestic violence victims and their children for a total of 6,383 bed nights.
Young said there are currently 22 women and children at that the domestic violence shelter, “Freedom House.”
“These are the people who were able to escape, get safe and report,” Young said.
The proclamation cites family violence as a community problem. Stopping the cycle, it states, requires not only the strength and courage of survivors, but also the support and involvement of all members of the community.
“It takes just one person to reach out and talk about domestic violence,” Young said.
To register for the “Because We Have Daughters” workshop, contact Lake Family Resource Center at 707-279-0563.
Email reporter Denise Rockenstein at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .