UTICA, N.Y. (Aug. 22, 2024) – We at YWCA Mohawk Valley (YWCA MV) are deeply saddened by the news this morning from the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office. We join our community at large in mourning the loss of Elizabeth Gerling, an elementary school principal. We extend our deepest condolences to her family and all those affected by this tragedy.
The Mohawk Valley is a welcoming, tight-knit community, but sadly, that does not mean we are strangers to violence against women. This year alone, as the local provider of domestic and sexual violence crisis services, YWCA MV has already served more than 3,000 individual survivors. We see the impact intimate partner violence can have on our community and dedicate ourselves to putting an end to the violence.
If you or someone you know has been impacted by domestic and/or sexual violence, YWCA MV is here for you, 24/7/365. Our crisis services are always free, confidential, and available to primary and secondary survivors.
YWCA MV offers two 24-hour crisis hotlines and a secure, private web chat for survivors to reach our advocates directly. To contact us, visit ywcamv.org/Chat. In Oneida County, call or text 315.797.7740 for domestic and sexual violence crisis services. In Herkimer County, call 315.866.4120 for child advocacy and adult sexual violence crisis services.
Available services include two domestic violence shelters, transitional housing programming, support groups and one-on-one counseling, advocacy and accompaniment through court, medical, and law enforcement proceedings, and more.
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Intimate partner violence is a real and present danger for women around the world. According to a study published by the National Library of Medicine in 2023, nearly half of female victims of homicide are killed by an intimate partner.
Every life lost to domestic violence is a tragedy. Enough is enoug
