CENTERVILLE —
An advocate from the local women's shelter is helping to raise awareness about domestic abuse in Centerville during October, which has been declared Domestic Abuse Awareness Month.
The Crisis Center and Women's Shelter in Ottumwa provides safe, temporary housing for battered and sexually abused or homeless women and their children. They shelter an average of 400 people each year and also take more than 1,000 calls on their 24-hour crisis line. The shelter currently has staff in Wapello, Appanoose, Jefferson, Monroe, Wayne and Davis counties.
Linda Handling, the Monroe and Appanoose County advocate for victims of domestic assault and sexual assault was on hand when Centerville Mayor Jim Senior signed a proclamation declaring October Domestic Abuse Awareness Month. She also passed out purple ribbons and nail files with contact info for the shelter.
The Crisis Center and Women's Shelter was founded in 1979 by a group of concerned citizens. It was originally called the Adult Life/Family Crisis Center. The mission of the shelter is to provide emergency shelter and services for survivors of domestic or sexual violence and to promote a violence free society through community education and advocacy.
All services provided by the organization are free, but donations are appreciated.
According to information from the shelter:
$25 provides personal care items for one family
$50 provides shelter for one person for one night
$100 provides food for one family for one week
$800 will pay shelter utility bills for one month
The shelter also provided some sobering statistics about sexual assault and domestic violence
Facts about sexual assault:
1 woman in 3 will be raped in her lifetime
83 percent of all rapes are perpetrated by someone known by the victim
50 percent of rapes occur in women's homes
70 percent of all rapes are planned
1 rape is committed every 40 seconds
1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will be sexually abused by the age of 18
Facts about domestic abuse:
Six million women are battered each year
Every 15 seconds an American woman seeks emergency medical care because of injuries received in a beating
10 women die each day as a result of battering
When leaving a battering relationship, women are at 75 percent increased risk of death
Battering causes more injuries to women, exceeding combined injuries from rapes, assaults and auto accidents
There are three times as many animal shelters in the United States as there are shelters for women and children
Anyone interested in donating may make checks payable to:
The Crisis Center
P.O. Box 446
Ottumwa, IA 52501
Anyone in need of help or support may call (800) 464-8340 or (641) 683-3122 or call the Women's Resource Center at (641) 683-1750.
CNHI/SE Iowa
Related Photos
-
Centerville Mayor Jim Senior signed a proclamation Tuesday morning at Centerville City Hall declaring October Domestic Abuse Awareness Month. Linda Handling, the Monroe and Appanoose County advocate for victims of domestic assault and sexual assault from the Crisis Center and Women's Shelter in Ottumwa presented the proclamation to Senior. Photo by Krystal Fowler/Daily Iowegian
Discussion
Shelter educates public about domestic abuse
- CNHI/SE Iowa
-
-
Twitter introduces website security tool after AP account hacked
Twitter is adding a new security tool to its website, making it harder for outsiders to gain access to accounts, a month after a false posting triggered a stock-market decline.
-
Siblings withstand storm in fridge
Brother and sister co-owners of a Chinese takeout restaurant huddled inside a refrigerator to survive Monday’s deadly tornado that claimed 24 lives.
-
Pursuit that began in Marion County ends in Wayne County
CORYDON — A pursuit that began in Marion County Tuesday evening ended in Wayne County Tuesday night. The two-hour, high speed chase that went through several counties, with an alleged short stint in Missouri as well, involved several agencies with a
-
Mom delivered baby as tornado struck
Shayla Taylor was so far along in labor that her nurses at Moore Medical Center decided not to move her when Monday's tornado hit. They waited out the storm in an operating room, where the wall disappeared as the tornado hit the building.
-
Stabbing trial pushed back
OTTUMWA -- The trial of an Ottumwa man accused of stabbing another man to death has been pushed back. Twenty-year-old Brandon Seim was charged in November 2011, when he was 18, with the stabbing death of Andy Madren, 34. When officers arrived at the
-
Offering a few helping hands
Two area women formed a business around the idea that people who have lost loved ones may need assistance in getting estates squared away.
-
TIMELAPSE: Take a tour through the damage in Moore
Take a driving tour of the damage in Moore caused by Monday's tornado.
-
Mayor wants tornado shelters in new homes
Moore Mayor Glenn Lewis wants tornado shelters in all new homes in his city, where an EF-5 tornado damaged or destroyed more than 12,500 homes Monday afternoon. A proposed ordinance would require a shelter inside or outside each new residence.
-
Officials release storm survey results
DES MOINES -- Officials with the National Weather Service have released a report on this week's severe weather, confirming that three tornadoes hit Iowa. That broke a nearly year-long streak without tornadoes in the state.
-
AUDIO: Residents share their tornado experiences
Moore, Okla., residents talk about living through Monday's EF-5 tornado.
- More CNHI/SE Iowa Headlines
-
Officials: Truck Hit Bridge Before Collapse
Sheriff: No Sign Killing of 2 Kids Was Planned
Obama Defends Drone Strikes, With Limits
Raw: Jurors Deadlock on Jodi Arias Penalty
Boy Scouts Decision "First Step" Say Activists
Raw: Utah Teen Arrested in Death of His Brothers
Closer Look at Okla. School Where Children Died
Two Suspects in Murder Known to London Police
Boy Scouts Mom Supports Gay Inclusiveness
"Be Ready": NOAA Warns of Busy Hurricane Season
SeaWorld: Penguins Are Coolest Thing in Florida
Obama Renews Call to Close Gitmo
Obama Offers Drone Strike Defense
Raw: Heckler Interrupts Obama on Guantanamo
A Slice of Apple History Up for Grabs
