If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence or sexual assault, help is available. The Davie Center for Violence Prevention can be contacted at their 24/7 crisis hotline 336-751-4357 (HELP), reached on Facebook @DavieDomesticViolenceServices, or visited in person at their physical address at 172 South Clement Street, Suite 2, Mocksville, NC 27028 from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday.
April is sexual assault awareness month, and a local agency of Davie County is dedicated to bringing change to the community. The mission of the Davie Center for Violence Prevention is “to end domestic violence and sexual assault in our community through empowerment, advocacy, education, awareness, and action for social change.” One in 4 women and 1 in 7 men experience severe physical violence from an intimate partner in their lifetime. Nearly half of men and women experience emotional/psychological abuse from an intimate partner. Abuse is a lot closer to home than you may realize.
Davie Center for Violence Prevention is a primarily grant-funded county agency that seeks to reduce harm caused by domestic violence in the Davie County community. By providing intervention and/or direct assistance to victims, the program aims to distribute assistance and resources on a unique case-by-case basis.
Brandi Patti, manager of the program, brought 16 years of work experience at the health department and a degree in public health to Davie Center for Violence Prevention when she began working with them five years ago. She discussed the resources this program is able to provide to those in need: “anything from just having someone to talk to, to getting counseling resources to them…[or even] help with finding shelter. Every case is different. We tailor it according to what the specific client needs.”
Alongside their 24-hour crisis line, many other FREE and CONFIDENTIAL services, including bilingual services, are available. Assistance with protective orders, medical and court accompaniment and advocacy, educational programs, emergency shelter coordination and assistance, crisis counseling, support groups, safety planning, assistance filing forms for victims’ compensation, address confidentiality programs, and other safety planning and referrals are all tailored to each person’s unique needs.
Feedback for this program has been stellar. Patti remarked that the program “gets lots of compliments.” They collect surveys from the people they work with to uncover how to widen the breadth of community awareness and to measure the results of their educational outreach opportunities. Survey participants have described the services they received as life-changing.
Their work isn’t always limited to Davie County locals, however. A young single mother from another state approached the agency after moving to Davie County. She was a victim of domestic violence and needed support. The DCVP was able to jump in and assist her in filing a protective order and getting her counseling. And now, after working with her, the mother and her child are thriving.
Volunteer opportunities are also available. There are many areas where volunteers can serve. For example, hospital advocates accompany individuals to the hospital and provide emotional support. Court advocates accompany individuals and provide emotional support as they go through court processes. Crisis hotline advocates answer calls on the 24-hour hotline (336-751-4357) and provide crisis intervention. Educational advocates assist with sexual assault prevention programs in Davie County schools and provide educational information at community events to raise awareness and share information about DCVP with the public. If you are interested in volunteering, you can find more information here.
Community education and empowerment for people of all backgrounds and all ages is part of what DCVP seeks to provide to prevent domestic violence and destigmatize asking for help. Their community education opportunities, such as school outreach programs, elder abuse education, and presentations to different local groups such as civic groups or faith-based groups, seek to bring education to traditionally underserved groups and develop community knowledge and response to domestic violence and sexual assault.
Help is available to anyone who needs it. Compassionate, trained advocates are available on the 24-hour crisis hotline: 336-751-4357 (HELP).
