Hays-Caldwell Women’s Center served 2,111 victims of family violence, dating violence, sexual assault and child abuse from Hays and Caldwell counties face-to-face in the 2018 fiscal year—the highest number in the organization's history.

HCWC Executive Director Marla Johnson said Thursday at the organization’s annual meeting that the center’s volunteers and advocates also answered 3,576 HELPLine crisis calls in 2018. The HELPLine, staffed by trained advocates and volunteers, is a 24-hour confidential crisis and information line for victims of abuse.

The center’s Hospital Advocates Response Team, which is made up of HCWC staff and volunteers who accompany sexual assault and family violence survivors to the hospital to provide support, responded to 67 individuals at local hospitals—a 20 percent increase over 2017.

Additionally, HCWC served 546 children through Roxanne’s House, a child advocacy program, marking a 37 percent increase in children served last year. In 2018, 358 people volunteered at the center, donating a total of 10,866 hours of service. The center also provided 5,738 nights of shelter to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.

Johnson told Community Impact Newspaper that going into 2019, HCWC needs volunteers to work the HELPLine and the Hospital Advocates Response Team, also known as HEARTeam.

“We’re really struggling, we used to have more people who had time to do those two things,” Johnson said. “Those are the main things we need help with.”

Johnson said staff are going to put a renewed focus on spreading information to the community about the work HCWC does.

“We really honestly believe that if people really understood about self-compassion that there would be less violence in the world,” she said.

HCWC Director of Community Partnerships Melissa Rodriguez said she looks forward to raising awareness about issues such as #MeToo, a national movement against sexual assault and harassment, in the new year.

“As far as looking forward, we want to make sure we maintain quality services,” Rodriguez said. “So we want people locally to get connected and learn about what’s going on in their backyard. We’re excited about that opportunity.”

Victims of abuse, dating violence, family violence and sexual assault can call HCWC’s HELPLine at 512-396-4356 or 800-700-4292 for crisis assistance.