EXPANDING REACH — Sarah Hilditch, who is the court advocate assigned to Hancock County, said that she seeks to improve the outreach from CHANGE Inc.’s Weirton office further north with hours in the Chester area at least once a month. CHANGE Inc. is a community action agency that not only helps with health services, housing assistance, supportive services, nutrition information but with child and victim advocacy. -- Stephanie Ujhelyi

CHESTER — Did you know that more than one-third of women say they have been abused by an intimate partner at some point in their lives?

CHANGE (Christians Helping Arrange New Growth Enterprises) Inc. is a community action agency that help empower victims of domestic violence in West Virginia.

Founded in 1983 to assist former employees of Weirton Steel in a post-layoff climate, the organization expanded its efforts to eventually include health services, housing assistance, supportive services, nutrition information and family advocacy.

According to Sarah Hilditch, who is a Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) court advocate employee with the agency assigned to Hancock, Brooke and Ohio counties in West Virginia, one of the biggest issues with most of her potential clients is transportation, so she tries to periodically hold outreach opportunities in various locations to take that obstacle away.

On Wednesday, Hilditch held office hours for four hours mid-morning to early afternoon at the Chester office for the Hancock Family Support Center.

During events like this, she is there to talk to potential domestic violence victims and advise them on the various options they may have at their disposal while offering them resources.

As the West Virginia Coalition Against Domestic Violence points out, a domestic homicide occurs approximately every 12 days.

West Virginia domestic violence programs provide services to an average of 352 victims daily.

Domestic violence can take the form of various behaviors beyond physical harm based on the relationship between the perpetrator and victim.

Battering starts as behavior in an effort to control the victim. For example, it can be by emotional, psychological or financial means as well before eventually progressing to physical or sexual violence.

There are two facilities within Weirton, which are central to CHANGE Inc.’s effort to assist abuse victims: the Lighthouse which is a residential domestic violence shelter at an undisclosed location, and the Domestic Violence Awareness Center, where advocacy services are offered at 3058 West St.

In addition to realizing you are a domestic violence victim, Hildrich said that key steps in escaping the abuse include calling 9-1-1 to get to a safe location, developing a safety plan and talking to someone about the abuse.

“Part of the abuser’s power comes from secrecy,” she acknowledges.

CHANGE Inc. representatives also can provide monitoring of visitation and custody change at their nonresidential Domestic Violence Awareness Center as well as resources leading the victim to cope with their resulting PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder).

Down the street at 3245 West St. is the location of the Comfort House Child Advocacy Center in Weirton.

The agency also has Family Medical Care offices in Newell, 1151 Washington St. as well as select locations throughout West Virginia and Jefferson County, Ohio with non-emergency medical transportation available to their FMC patients by calling 304-797-7733 to their appointments at least 48 hours prior to the appointment.

During her visit to Chester, Hildrich also brought information about the Legal Aid of West Virginia, which provides free legal aid for non-criminal issues especially if an individual is attempting to escape a domestic violence situation.

She hopes to make the office hours in the Chester area a monthly occurrence. “We are very fortunate to have a large group of organizations at our disposal and I want to make sure that all of Hancock County can access them if needed,” Hildrich concluded.

Abuse victims also can utilize a 24-7 hotline to receive assistance at 304-797-SAFE (7233)

More can be learned about Change Inc. at its website, http://www.changeinc.org