Domestic violence can happen to anyone.

It can be the soccer mom who wears long-sleeve shirts even when it is 80 degrees outside, or the man who keeps saying he can’t go out when his friends ask to hang out.

It could be a loved one or a neighbor.

That’s why Carbon County has named October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Last year, over 200 Carbon individuals were served by the Domestic Violence Service Center after they made the call for help.

Jen Dotzel, outreach supervisor for Domestic Violence Service Center, which serves Carbon and Luzerne counties, said there are programs to help those who are victims of domestic violence.

In 2023, the center housed six county residents in an emergency shelter, while also working to get the rapid rehousing program up and running.

Dotzel said that this program allows individuals to stay in the area while their rent is paid by the center for up to one year.

“We served more individuals in that program than we did the emergency shelter,” she said, noting that there were approximately a dozen people served by rapid rehousing.

Tammy Rodgers, volunteer education coordinator for the Domestic Violence Service Center, thanked the board of commissioners on Thursday for shining a light on this very real problem.

“We are trying to make sure that everybody knows that domestic violence is still very much in our society,” she said. “And we want to make sure that everyone knows that they can reach out to us because we can help.”

The Domestic Violence Service Center provides services including legal advocacy to victims of domestic violence, court accompaniment to PFA hearings, community support groups, one-on-one counseling and more. All services are free and confidential.

The center is available at anytime to someone who needs help as a result of domestic violence.

Anyone who is a victim of domestic violence and physical, mental and emotional abuse can call the center’s 24-hour hotline at 800-424-5600.

For more information on the Domestic Violence Service Center, visit www.domesticviolenceservice.org.