Prince Frederick, MD – The entities dedicated to dealing with domestic violence in Calvert County recently gathered at the Calvert County Courthouse to observe the beginning of an important month. On Tuesday, Oct. 7 the Calvert County Commissioners declared October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
“It remains an issue that needs attention,” said Calvert County Commission for Women Chair Margaret Dunkle.
Calvert County has certainly given a considerable amount of attention to dealing with the problem, which impacts every social stratum. In a Calvert County Health Department press release it was noted the county’s Crisis Intervention Center—a division of the local health department—“was the first agency to implement the ‘Maryland Model.’ In addition, it was the second county in Maryland to form a Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team.”
While the Crisis Intervention Center, Commission for Women, local law enforcement and Calvert Memorial Hospital all play significant roles in the struggle to deal with domestic violence, the linchpin in the county’s effort is the 23-year-old shelter in Prince Frederick—Safe Harbor.
In 1991, the former Central High School was converted into a shelter for women and children victimized by domestic violence. The facility is funded by the Calvert County Commissioners, the Calvert County Health Department, the nonprofit Safe Harbor Inc. and private donations from the community.
According to a synopsis provided by Safe Harbor Inc.’s Board of Directors, the nonprofit continues to provide funding for furnishings “as well as non-budgeted client items, such as prescription medications, legal fees, and shoes and clothing for those who arrive at the shelter with few personal possessions. Over the last two years alone, we have expended over $65,000 in shelter-related assistance.”
Crisis Intervention Center Director David Gale confirmed that Safe Harbor has experienced increases in “bed nights,” and the number of women and children who have been served by its staff.
Safe Harbor Inc.’s current chairman, former county commissioner Linda Kelley, thanked the current board for its “unwavering support” of the shelter, which remains open despite some recent state funding issues. Kelley recounted some of her encounters with past residents of Safe Harbor, who credited the facility and its staff for helping them transition from a deplorable situation to one filled with promise.
The Safe Harbor Inc. board members attending the Oct. 7 meeting presented the commissioners with a check for $30,000 to be applied to shelter operations.
Other activities related to Domestic Violence Month in Calvert County include a panel discussion entitled “In Our Own Voice,” which will be held Saturday, Oct. 18 from 1 to 3 p.m. at Calvert Library in Prince Frederick. On Tuesday, Oct. 21 a candlelight vigil will be held in front of the Calvert County Courthouse at 7 p.m. The vigil will be followed by a recognition ceremony honoring Calvert leaders in the fight to end domestic violence at the Albright Building across Duke Street from the courthouse. The ceremony’s special guest speaker will be author Jennifer Foxworthy.
During the month of October The Clothesline Project will be on display at several locations, including the libraries in Prince Frederick and Solomons, the College of Southern Maryland Prince Frederick campus, the county courthouse and the Calvert County District Court Building in Prince Frederick.
For more information about the Calvert County Crisis Intervention Center, visit the health department’s web site at www.calverthealth.org
Contact Marty Madden at marty.madden@thebaynet.com