ODESSA, Texas — Domestic Violence Awareness Month is well underway this October.
On Monday, Crisis Center of West Texas and Safe Place of the Permian Basin held their kickoff event in Odessa.
Many people came out to support at the Ector County Courthouse.
City and county officials, along with law enforcement, shared their thoughts on domestic violence and efforts being made to end it.
“The issue of domestic violence comes down to the home and this is our home here in Ector County, and we have to take care of our home," said Ector County Judge Dustin Fawcett. “If we could just help one family, help one kid, help one wife, help one husband, help one grandparent -- then we are doing the world’s difference."
Priscella Garcia is a survivor and her family an example.
“Women can know that there is life after, and that no matter what the struggle is, that something great is there for you," Garcia said.
Ector County gets about 40 domestic violence cases per month.
Judge Fawcett shared some of their efforts.
“We’ve actually allocated more resources to our district attorney’s office than has ever been done before," Judge Fawcett said. "We have made it more attractive to come be a prosecutor here in Ector County that way we can prosecute these crimes, because DV, domestic violence, is a massive, massive percentage of the amount of calls that our sheriff’s office goes on.”
There are also resources to help victims of domestic violence from non-profit organizations like Safe Place of the Permian Basin and Crisis Center of West Texas.
“We both have shelters and also what we call non-residential services, so, there again, you don’t have to be ready to leave and move into a shelter to get help...there’s advocacy and counseling and groups, and just come and talk to somebody in a confidential setting," said Safe Place Counselor and Program Director Judy Drury.
Judge Fawcett mentioned that they will protect and help the thousands of domestic violence victims that go unseen every year.
Drury added that those folks are not alone -- if someone needs help, the 24/7 crisis number for Safe Place of the Permian Basin is 1-800-967-8928.
The 24/7 crisis number for Crisis Center of West Texas is 1 (866) 627-4747.