Hotline calls are up about 100 from last year for a Columbia nonprofit that serves as a critical resource for those affected by intimate partner violence, sexual violence and stalking.
The numbers are staggering for True North of Columbia. Executive director Michele Snodderley tells 939 the Eagle that hotline calls are crisis calls:
“The numbers for May are the highest that they have ever been. We hit almost 500 in hotline calls,” Ms. Snodderley says.
Domestic violence continues to be a growing problem in Columbia and Boone County, with several recent high-profile incidents. Earlier this month, convicted felon Jesse Jones of Centralia was charged with fracturing his girlfriend’s jaw and knocking her unconscious.
Ms. Snodderley explains what the crisis calls to the hotline are:
“That is the number you call when you either are looking for shelter. You are a friend or a family member who is trying to figure out how to get help. You’re trying to do a safety plan on how you can get out,” Ms. Snodderley says.
True North of Columbia is encouraging you to attend Thursday’s special open house and ribbon cutting ceremony at the new advocacy center, which is at 1901 Pennsylvania drive. Thursday’s event is from 4:30 to 6:30 pm, with the ribbon-cutting happening at 5. Refreshments will be provided and you’ll be able to take a guided tour.
