Our extensive network for transportation
includes Diamond Lake Junction, Beaver Marsh, Chemult, Two
Rivers North, Highway 58, Crescent Lake, Diamond Peaks, Schoonover, Crescent, Gilchrist,
Hackett Drive, Jack Pine Village, Wagon Trail North, Antelope Meadows, Sun
Forest and Split Rail areas.
Here in Central
Oregon the need for help for victims of domestic violence is a
stark and dark contrast to the areas’ natural beauty. But the need is great.
For this reason the Klamath Crisis
Center in Klamath Falls
has set up the North Klamath Outreach to serve the victims in the north county’s
2400 square miles. Marta’s House, the residence for Klamath
Crisis Center victims, has a long
history of effective, immediate intervention and long-term support for ending
domestic violence.
Several
cultural factors are deeply entrenched in our society and make it difficult to
even speak about the problem. Remote areas attract abusers because they can
hide their actions better and people in rural areas tend to have a “that’s
their business” attitude. We often profile in our minds that all victims are
uneducated, poor or even “ask for it”. But is that true? Physical and sexual violence
is an equal opportunity offender. All economic classes, cultures and education
levels are affected the same and nobody is helped by repeated abuse. Perhaps we
don’t want to think about it until it affects us personally. “We don’t want to
wait until someone we love is dead or in a coma”, says the residence director
at Marta’s House. It is discouraging to the thousands of wonderful
fathers and husbands who are “doing it right” in our area. Talking about
domestic and sexual violence just makes fodder for the male bashing that we
also need to stop. So what do we do?
In 2009
there were 109 domestic violence incidents in the north county alone where law
enforcement was called to intervene. It is estimated that the actual need is
twenty times that number. We are looking for volunteers to join our outreach
and help. Wanda Powless, the Crisis Center’s Executive Director has designated
the next several months to find what our needs and wants are. Would a
confidential support group help? Are there people who would operate a help line? Can
we get public speakers here from the Klamath Falls’
successful Domestic Violence Task Force?
Would we benefit from education? For teens, could we set up assistance
through the school based Health Center
at Gilchrist? Besides the physical and emotional suffering there are financial
costs to families, employers and government agencies. Would we like to fund a
well-defined program to fight it? Would some of us provide immediate, safe host housing when the roads are
impassable? Think about what you would like to see happen here.
WE ARE HERE TO HELP. . . . . . . . WE ARE HERE
TO LISTEN
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