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Help For Domestic Violence Victims

Help for Domestic Violence Victims
October is Domestic Violence Awareness month. We take a look at the issue and also hear from a woman who's created a video to help victims get restraining orders.

A domestic violence forum will take place on Tuesday, October 27, 2009, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the San Miguel Fire Station. Call 619 337-2039 for more information.

Efforts to help domestic violence survivors have been in the news lately. First we heard that Governor Schwarzenegger was pulling all state funding from domestic violence shelters, as part of emergency state budget cuts. Then, just last week, the Governor signed a bill to restore about 70 percent of that funding, a reprieve for some shelters in California which were about to close. And of course, the state cuts are a symptom of the wider financial recession that is putting greater strain on many families.

It's with this backdrop that we mark October as Domestic Violence Awareness month, at a time when uncertainty and shrinking resources combine to put more families at greater risk. But despite the challenges, the people who are working in the field of keeping families safe are moving forward. Here in San Diego, the Legal Aid society's domestic violence clinic has released a new video on how adults who feel threatened at home can begin the legal process of finding a safe place for themselves and their families.

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GUESTS:

Lea Fields-Bernard, attorney and creator of the video, Break the Silence, Stop the Violence

Christine Pangan, attorney and director of Legal Aid's Domestic Violence Clinic

Lana Culliver, domestic violence survivor