Twenty domestic violence cases have been reported from January to August this year in the city of Washington, with even more since then as Domestic Violence Awareness Month is recognized in Washington County.

Since 1987 October has been designated as a way to connect and unite individuals and organizations working on domestic violence issues while raising awareness for those issues. Domestic Violence Intervention Program Client Advocacy Services Coordinator Xiomara Levsen says she has already worked with over 50 clients in Washington County this year, compared to 42 in 2020. Levsen says there can be many signs of domestic abuse, “A lot of people think it has to be physical and it’s not just because the word violence is in there. It’s also emotional, or financial, or isolation is a lot of things we’re seeing. I talked to somebody recently, she doesn’t have her own bank account, her money goes into the account and then it’s gone, and they don’t drive either. So that’s another thing about isolation, they have to know where they’re going all the time.”

Levsen invites the public to dine at Cafe Dodici in Washington on Wednesday, October 6th from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5-8 p.m. as 10% of their sales will go to the Washington County Domestic Violence Coalition. She also says to look out for purple ribbons displayed by local law enforcement to support survivors of domestic abuse. Listen to Levsen during today’s Halcyon House Washington Page on air and KCIIradio.com.