INDIANAPOLIS — Unlocking empowerment is the goal of Coburn Place, an Indianapolis shelter that has provided safe housing to people who are survivors of domestic violence for the past 25 years.
Domestic violence is a pandemic inside the COVID-19 pandemic with reports showing a devastating increase in domestic violence cases and homicide since March 2020.
At Coburn Place alone, they saw nearly a 40% increase in adults and children needing help between 2019 and 2020.
“There is still a need. Fortunately, there's still a place like Coburn Place around,” said Tracy Clark, a member of the Coburn Place board of directors.
Domestic violence impacts 1-in-3 women and 1-in-7 men. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Indiana ranks third-highest in domestic violence cases out of 30 states.
“Unfortunately, during this time, during the pandemic, situations where people are in situations where there's domestic violence around them, that has increased, so there's more of a need during this time,” Clark said.
Coburn Place is a transitional home for those who may have experienced domestic violence or interpersonal abuse.
“They also offer many services and many off-site services for survivors who can't be housed at the moment,” Clark said.
Clark is familiar with Coburn Place not just as a board member, but also as a resident.
“I was a resident at Coburn Place several years ago," Clark said. “One of my family members told me about Coburn Place. I was coming out of a domestic violence relationship, and I needed a place to stay, and they were really like a light in a dark tunnel.”
She said her advice to anyone experiencing domestic violence is to reach out for help.
“The great thing about Coburn Place is they have 24-hour staff that answers the calls, and they're training to deal with what's going on,” Clark said. “When it comes to domestic violence situations, you're not alone.
“This is not the first time that this as happened. There are other people who are dealing with this, and there's a support system and there are people out there that can help you get through this and kind of hold your hand through the process. Sometimes, you can feel very along because that's part of the domestic abuse cycle, but just now that you're not alone and help is out there.”
Coburn Place is celebrating its 25th anniversary this week. They will hold a gala Friday to raise money and awareness for their organization.
Last year, the community gave more than $206,000 worth of donations like cleaning supplies, food and diapers to survivors and their children, you can learn more about how to donate right at coburnplace.org.
