ORLANDO, Fla. – To combat domestic violence, News 6 and Harbor House want people to know the signs.
The two are teaming up for Domestic Violence Awareness Month to increase understanding about the topic.
News 6 will be hosting a phone bank Thursday to help raise awareness surrounding the issue and to raise funds for new Harbor House programs.
People can call 888-436-6665 from 4 to 7:30 p.m. Advocates and staff will be ready to answer any caller questions related to domestic violence and respond to crisis calls. This year, people will also have the option to donate to Harbor House's Camp HOPE.
This new initiative is the first dual camping and mentoring program in the United States to focus on children and teenagers exposed to domestic violence. Advocates estimate between 2 million and 10 million children witness some sort of domestic violence each year. Advocates say children who witness such events are high risk for emotional, social and behavioral difficulties. These traumatic experiences can also cause increased anxiety, depression, social isolation, physical and psychology aggression and, the major concern, a cycle of domestic violence.
Harbor House is partnering with this first-of-its-kind program to use evidence and values-based curriculum to teach campers how to cope after witnessing domestic violence and how to hope for a better future.
“One of the many ways we’ve been working to end domestic violence is by focusing on our child survivors,” Michelle Sperzel, CEO of Harbor House of Central Florida, said in a news release. “Camp Hope’s evidence-based curriculum helps children build resiliency, which builds more hope, and ultimately helps them break the cycle of violence."
People interested in learning about Camp Hope can visit its website.
Those interested can also get results and donate Thursday by calling 888-436-6665.