If someone is experiencing domestic violence, it can be difficult for loved ones to decipher what is helpful and what isn’t. On Jan. 28 a local workshop will showcase the Do’s and Don’ts of Domestic Violence at the Family Center in Wilmore.

GreenHouse17 is a nonprofit domestic violence agency that serves 17 counties, including Jessamine. The non-profit will present at the workshop that includes more than just the “do’s and don’ts” of domestic violence.

Certified Domestic Violence Advocate at GreenHouse17 Andrea Lewis said the workshop will cover the generality of abuse, including statistics, types of abuse, how to help survivors, the boundaries and fear itself.

“Domestic violence tends to be a very isolated phenomenon for a lot of people who go through it,” Lewis said. “A lot of people don’t know what they need to say, or they don’t know the appropriate things they need to do, to support survivors.”

Lewis said she hopes the workshop is able to educate and inform people about how they can adequately be a support system for their friends or family who might be experiencing domestic violence.

“If the mission of The Family Center is to serve and support all Wilmore-area families, we must be concerned that one in every three women will be the victims of domestic violence in their lifetime,” the Director of the Family Center in Wilmore, Tara Hall, said in an email to the Jessamine Journal. “We are so very pleased that GreenHouse17 will be presenting a workshop to equip anyone who finds themselves supporting a victim of domestic violence.  When a friend, neighbor or co-worker confides in us, it’s hard to know what to do, what to say and even more important what not to say.”

The workshop is from 10 a.m. to noon at the Family Center in Wilmore. It is free, but donations are suggested.

For those who are unable to attend the workshop, or want to learn more information visit http://greenhouse17.org/. There is also a free 24-hour crisis line: 800-544-2022.