The average number of times a domestic violence survivor will attempt to leave a dangerous situation before successfully escaping is about six or seven times.
When a survivor does make a decision to leave for good, domestic violence advocate and survivor Elissa Swihart from Newark recalls that the lack of resources available can be a major roadblock.
“I did the whole leaving and trying to go back more times than I can even count,” Swihart said.
But five years ago, Swihart sat in the front seat of her car with her son asleep in the back. In that moment, the severity of her situation sent a shockwave through her. Swihart turned the car key, put her foot to the gas and rescued herself and her son from a violent situation she had been trying to convince herself was anything but.
“I had called around to the domestic violence shelters and, this is a whole problem in and of itself, but they’re always full,” Swihart said. “You’re a very lucky statistic if you can get into one, if you have a bed.”
On top of finding somewhere to stay, Swihart emphasizes how hard it is to take belongings and basic necessities when a survivor is escaping a dangerous situation.
“I left with only a laundry basket full of clothes, and I had to start over completely,” she said.
Swihart is far from the only one to navigate these often little recognized side effects of domestic violence. In 2022 alone, Licking County saw 627 charges of domestic violence.
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Some victims do not get the chance to leave.
The bright and bubbly Tala Smith, 21, laid in a hospital bed with no detectable brain activity for six days last year.
A little less than a week before, Smith suffered severe injuries from alleged domestic violence. In the latest update in the criminal case against her alleged attacker, a trial was originally set for Monday, July 14. But after an attorney’s request the trial was canceled, and the next pretrial hearing will occur July 25.
On March 23, 2024, Tala died from her injuries. Tala’s parents donated her organs, and she saved four patients as a result.
Tala’s story, however, is not finished. Her legacy will live on through a new organization dedicated to supporting survivors of domestic violence.
At 4852 Walnut Road in Buckeye Lake, Ohio, Elissa’s father Randy Swihart works as the director of the Water’s Edge Community Center. The Center offers a food pantry on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m., with a special dinner for kids every Wednesday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
But starting in February, Elissa worked with her parents, Lori and Randy, to add Tala’s Closet to the community center.
Tala’s Closet, named after Smith, is a free resource and boutique for survivors of domestic violence. It has clothes for survivors, as well as baby clothes, formula, hygiene products and more that are all free. The closet will be open the same hours as the food pantry, and survivors can make an appointment to shop privately if they choose.
“Accepting something from someone that you don’t know, it feels like you’re doing something wrong, but it’s needed and necessary especially when you’re in transition,” Elissa said. “And so because of that, I’ve always looked for ways to pay it forward.
Conversations around the closet began when the Jacksontown United Methodist Church Pastor Oscar Bickerdt reached out to Elissa about increasing access to resources for survivors in Licking County.
Last October, the church held a vigil for victims of domestic violence and opened a small resource center in the Water’s Edge Community Center. Now, there will be a lot more offered to survivors through the closet.
It was through the research into victims of domestic abuse in Licking County in preparation for the vigil that Elissa had learned about Smith.
“I wanted to honor Tala in some way, because through one of our interviews between (Tala’s mother) and I, she told me that a motto that Tala lived by was ‘see a need, fill a need,’” Elissa said. “What an amazing way to honor her legacy.”
Elissa worked in the background from Michigan, while her parents brought the closet to fruition in Buckeye Lake. Many community organizations have partnered with or donated to the closet, including Buckeye Lake Dental, New Beginnings Domestic Violence Shelter, Lighthouse Domestic Violence Shelter, and Big Kahuna Ozone Laundromat, where Smith worked.
“It just means so much, just so much that I can help the victims,” Elissa’s mother Lori said.
The Tala’s Closet grand opening will happen Saturday, July 19. The closet will provide a free spaghetti dinner, which volunteers will serve at 6:00 p.m.
Before volunteers cut the ribbon, signalling the completion of six months of work to develop the closet, Elissa’s parents will take a moment to remember the stories of survivors that have led to the creation of the closet.
During the opening, attendees will walk through the brand new closet, and see the space curated for survivors. The closet grand opening will also feature a raffle basket giveaway. Some of the prizes include a self-care gift basket with a candle and coffee shop gift card, or the family-fun basket with a gas card to drive the family to the beach. To enter, bring a donation item of hygiene products, diapers, detergent or a monetary donation.
Looking to donate to the closet? During the opening, there will be a drop zone for participants to leave their donations. These are the current high demand items:
- Toothbrushes and toothpaste
- Babywipes
- Saline solution and contact cases
- Feminine hygiene products
- Deodorant
- Hairbrushes
- Diapers
- Kids underwear and socks
Due to limited space, the closet will not accept sheets, towels or other household items.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, reach out to the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or text BEGIN to 88788. Local resources include the Center for New Beginnings, a free shelter in Newark, Ohio (800)-686-2760, and the Lighthouse Domestic Violence Shelter (740)-687-4423.
Maddie Luebkert writes for TheReportingProject.org, the nonprofit news organization of Denison University’s Journalism program, which is supported by generous donations from readers. Sign up for The Reporting Project newsletter here.