Southcoast Health Shares Domestic Violence Resources during COVID-19 Pandemic

Within our community, as towns and cities have gone into lockdown to slow the spread of COVID-19, collective attempts to keep people safe and healthy have put one at-risk group in more danger.

Individuals and families who live with domestic violence may feel as if they have no escape from their abusers during the quarantine. Within our community, activists and survivors say they already see a distressing rise in abuse. 

Southcoast Health has partnered with Pamela MacLeod Lima of The Women’s Center to inform our community about available resources for those suffering from domestic violence. 

“The Women’s Center remains open amid the pandemic,” Pamela says. “Precautions have been put in place to keep victims healthy and safe. At the moment, victims are being housed in hotels and tested for COVID-19 before being placed in a shelter.”

Additionally, all services remain open and available, such as: 

• Emergency safe homes, e.g., hotels and shelters 
• Legal and medical advocacy  
• Mental health counseling and support groups
• Funding for daily essentials, e.g., food, toiletries and other necessities 

The Women’s Center also offers a 24-Hour Hotline: 508-999-6636 in English, Spanish and Portuguese.

“If it’s a dangerous situation, we want victims to know that they can get out, and we will house them,” Pamela says. “We don’t want anyone living in a situation where they could be injured. We also want them to know our support has no boundaries; we serve both documented and undocumented immigrant victims”. 

Southcoast Health echoes the words of the Women’s Center. We value the safety of every community member and do not want anyone to remain in a dangerous situation. If you or someone you know needs support, please visit http://thewomenscentersc.com/ or call the 24-Hour Hotline: 508-999-6636 for safety resources and support.