COLUMBUS, Ohio — It’s a scary milestone when you think about it.
As of Monday, the City of Columbus has 25 domestic violence-related homicides, whereas last year the total number was seven.
On Monday night, one of the items on Columbus City Council’s agenda was directed towards stopping that number from growing.
Council members approved an ordinance to allow the Office of Violence Prevention to grant the Lutheran Social Services of Central Ohio $500,000 to help them provide services to victims and survivors of domestic violence.
This is something Mackenzie Carlson doesn’t like talking about, but something she’ll bring to everyone’s attention if she must.
"I was not going to live if I stayed in that relationship,” she said.
Carlson is a survivor of domestic violence. She started dating the person who she thought was her forever in 2018 as a freshman in college until he started to turn more aggressive. She recalled one night when he hit her.
"I had locked myself in the bathroom and he had beaten the door in and he pushed me backward and I fell into the shower and I fell backward and I hit my head,” said Carlson.
She almost lost her life and needed reconstructive surgery on her nose because of multiple fractures.
This is why she said services like LSS CHOICES are needed.
Councilmember Emmanuel Remy said the money is an investment to make sure people continue getting the help they need.
"We need to make an investment to make sure that we’re helping stop this growing demand in domestic violence,” said Remy.
Rachel Lustig is the president and CEO of LSS CHOICES. She said the money will be used to help victims and survivors find housing, a new job, and services for children if needed.
"Every one of us deserves better. We should all have a place that's safe and that'll help strengthen the kind of community that we want to have,” said Lustig.
If you or someone you know needs help to get out of an abusive situation call the free National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.