Club Meeting: Domestic Violence In Our Community: Impact and Response: – Community Works supports and empowers people impacted by domestic and sexual violence. In this presentation, Marion Denard, Development and Outreach Director for Community Works discussed the issue of domestic violence, its impact in our community, and Community Works’ services to address and prevent it in the Rogue Valley.  Domestic Violence is a pattern of behavior where one partner in an intimate relationship chooses to use coercion, controlling and abusive behaviors to establish and maintain power and control over the other person. Tactics can include physical, psychological, sexual, social, and financial abuse. Domestic violence can happen to anyone regardless of race, age, sexual orientation, religion, or gender. Domestic violence affects people of all socioeconomic backgrounds and education levels. Domestic violence occurs in both opposite-sex and same-sex relationships and can happen to intimate partners who are married, living together, separated, or dating. According to the Center of Disease Control, one in three women in the United States will experience Domestic Violence in their lifetime.
Domestic violence not only affects those who are abused, but also has a substantial effect on family members, friends, co-workers, other witnesses, and the community at large. Children who grow up witnessing domestic violence are among those seriously affected by this crime. The abuser interferes with the victims’ ability to parent, causing harm to the parent/child relationship, and many are abusive to their own children. Frequent exposure to violence in the home not only predisposes children to numerous social and physical problems, but also teaches them that violence is a normal way of life – therefore, increasing their risk of becoming society’s next generation of victims and abusers.
Approximately 25% of women and 25% of children experience and witness domestic abuse. Community Works (CW) receive about 10,000 calls/yr and connect with 3,000 victims. Choices to leave an abusive home situation are locally exacerbated by our 1% vacancy housing rate. Therefore,  CW plans to develop a new facility in Medford modeled after a successful youth shelter to provide housing and advocacy for up to 2 years.
How to get involved:
- Host a “Heart Warming Party” to inform people of the situation and plans to address the crisis.
- Help to teach new “Life Skills”
- Get informed on the “Trauma” and volunteer
