LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – In honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, this week the Board of Supervisors presented a proclamation and Lake Family Resource Center held its first event to help draw attention to the issue.

During the Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday morning, Supervisor Denise Rushing presented a proclamation declaring October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month to Gloria Flaherty, executive director of Lake Family Resource Center.

The center runs the county’s domestic violence shelter, Freedom House, located along with the center’s administrative offices at 5350 Main St. in Kelseyville.

Flaherty challenged county residents to choose to confront domestic violence and, in doing so, make the community better.

“We are better than this,” she said. “We can do this together.”

She said  it takes a commitment from every single person to reduce the impact of domestic violence on the community, with the goal of eliminating it altogether.

This week the center hosted its “Clothesline Event” and open house at shelter, which as of Monday was housing 12 women and 21 children, said Flaherty. She added that it was a large number for a small community like Lake County.

Freedom House, from its beginning, has not been a confidential shelter, said Flaherty.

She said there have been many benefits from the shelter’s location being known, including having community members actively keeping an eye on it.

“It makes a difference,” she said.

At the Thursday Domestic Violence Clothesline Workshop and T-Shirt Display, community members were able to honor domestic violence survivors and victims with artwork on t-shirts and pants. The artwork was then hung up for public viewing until Friday afternoon.

Center officials said the clothing artwork will be hung again next year as part of a continuing display of art honoring domestic violence survivors and victims.

For more information about Lake Family Resource Center and the services it offers to domestic violence victims, call 707-279-0563.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .