Donate your car to help victims of domestic violence

Plus, other ways you can help

As the National Network To End Domestic Violence notes, "Domestic violence thrives when we are silent."

National Domestic Violence Awareness Month might have come and gone with the passing of October, but helping victims of domestic violence doesn't stop there.

There are many ways to help. From donating to a charity, to wearing purple, to volunteering at a local domestic violence shelter.

Through Volunteers of America Greater Ohio's transitional housing programs and shelters, we're able to provide the abused a safe place to escape such a violent situation. You can help those programs by donating your car to our car donation program.

It can happen to anyone

It's been said domestic violence doesn't discriminate, and though that's true, it can be easy to offhandedly dismiss the reality of that saying each time you hear it.

The facts are eye-opening. The National Network to End Domestic Violence found that on a single day in 2014, "more than 67,000 victims were served by domestic violence programs." A third of all women have experienced rape, physical violence and/or stalking by an intimate partner at least once in their lifetime. Breaking it down further, one in five women have been raped. A woman is assaulted or beaten every 9 seconds. Every day in the U.S. three women are killed by a current or former partner. Every year about 15.5 million children are exposed to domestic violence.

Don't remain silent. We encourage you to reach out to someone, whether you know a friend experiencing abuse or you're the victim. There are resources available. Get help.

The National Network To End Domestic Violence has a wealth of information. There you can read about signs and red flags of abuse, learn about the different types of abuse, discover safety tips for computer and internet use and much more.

If you are in immediate, call 911. You can also call the U.S. National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or TTY 1-800-787-3224.

Donate a vehicle today to help

At Volunteers of America of Greater Ohio, we have emergency shelters and support groups to help women escape and recover from domestic violence.

To help us fund these programs, you can donate a vehicle, from RVs to motorcycles, to Volunteers of America of Greater Ohio. We'll take almost anything with a motor, even if it doesn't run. We can arrange free same-day towing, and you might even get more money for your vehicle as a deductible donation on your tax return than you would selling it on your own!

Remember, if you can donate to Volunteers of America, you can help victims of abuse in all of the Ohio counties we serve.

If you plan on donating a vehicle, please fill out the car donation form. If you have any questions, contact the Car Donation & Auction Office at 614-870-7511.