October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and a local organization says the pandemic has impacted many victims.
Kimberlina Kavern works with a nonprofit called Safe Horizon, an organization that helps victims of violence and abuse.
She says they’re seeing more cases and that they’re not always physical.
"Mental abuse, emotional abuse. Someone who is really jealous. Someone who is isolating you from your family and friends and support networks. Someone who is controlling money or asking for things sexually that make you uncomfortable,” said Kavern.
According to the CDC, one in four women and one in seven men experience violence from an intimate partner.
Kavern wants people to know that they have not stopped offering help throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
"So, our hotline is available 24 hours a day. You can go to our website and you can chat with someone and there is a safe escape feature on our website if you need to quickly need to leave our website and not leave a record of it in your history,” said Kavern.
Legal services, shelters and counseling are among the many programs they offer. She encourages victims to reach out to loved ones and organizations like theirs to find safety.