Cumbee Center provides resources, raises awareness for domestic violence victims

Oct. 12—Domestic violence is one thing no one likes to talk about, but one local nonprofit has been raising awareness for many years.

"There is more openness in discussing it, but domestic violence is known as the hidden crime for that reason," said Jessica Coach, who serves as the executive director for the Cumbee Center to Assist Abused Persons.

For the last 44 years, the Cumbee Center has been meeting the needs of domestic victims through education and connecting victims with resources to help them overcome their situation.

Some resources provided include a 24/7 crisis hotline, hospital accompaniment, a 24/7 emergency shelter, crisis management, counseling, community education, awareness initiatives through events and clothing and food assistance.

The Cumbee Center serves victims in the six counties of Aiken, Allendale, Barnwell, Edgefield, McCormick and Saluda.

Last year, the Cumbee Center served 543 new domestic violence victims, 93 new victims of sexual assault, provided 157 victims and 2,328 nights of safety at its emergency shelter and overall provided 9,477 different, unique services to 895 individuals over a six-county area.

"We probably have about 90 percent of those numbers come from Aiken County, if not more," Coach said.

According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline website, about 29 percent of women and 10 percent of men in the U.S. have experienced rape, physical violence and/or stalking by a partner and reported it having a related impact on their functioning.

Amanda Robinson, who serves as the education coordinator for the Cumbee Center, said that during the month of October the agency does a lot of community awareness events such as domestic violence conferences for many different agencies in Aiken and hanging purple ribbons in downtown Aiken, Barnwell and North Augusta.

The agency will hold Oct. 14 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at H. Odell Weeks Activities Center at the Whiskey Road Picnic Shelter. All awareness events that led up to the annual Whiskey Road race in November.

The center has an in-person and online support group that meets once a week.

Robinson said volunteers from the center will be standing with signs that will have domestic violence verbiage off Whiskey Road twice during the month of October.

Coach said domestic violence can be defined as any form of abuse, which can be mental, physical, emotional, digital and financial between intimate partners. She said it doesn't have to be extreme and a lot of people don't know recognize the signs of domestic violence.

Coach said domestic violence is a learned behavior and those who have experienced it or witnessed it during their childhood often become victims or abusers.

"Just emphasizing that it doesn't have to be physical, no one has to physically touch you to be domestic violence, " Robinson said.

Robinson said there is a stigma with domestic violence in which some men and cultures think they can't be victims of domestic violence.

"We serve everyone, men, women, all populations," she said.

Coach said the services that are provided are trauma-informed and victim-centered. Coach said victim-centered means the victims recognize they are the experts and the center's goal is to support victims.

"It's important to know that first and foremost to let those who need help make sure they are aware of help out there and there is the Cumbee Center, who is there to help them navigate through the systems and to live a life free of violence," Coach said.

More information on the Cumbee Center resources can be found online at cumbeecenter.org or by calling the center at 803-649-0480.