In Michiana, domestic violence has taken the lives of six mothers and sisters, six fathers and brothers, and a two-year-old boy since last October.

S.O.S of the Madison Center says in Indiana, 65 people died and there were more than 100,000 calls to crisis lines last year.

Those are startling numbers; but this weekend, the group is fighting back the violence by bringing the community together for hope and some healing.

The “Community Gatherings to Heal Domestic Violence in North America” event will be on Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Madison Center’s campus in South Bend.

Stacy Davis, a member of the Advocate Awareness Committee for the Madison Center, says the interfaith healing ceremony is based on the Mozambique concept that domestic violence is a community disorder.

“So to heal it, you need the entire community to get together,” Davis said. “What we hope will happen is that it will give both victims, family members, folks who don’t think domestic violence has anything to do with them, a place where they can come and connect with other people in an interactive setting. There will be singing, dancing, and prayers, and all types of things that give someone, regardless of how they feel, some sense of hope.”

S.O.S staffs a crisis hotline that’s open all day every day, 365 days a year. The crisis hotline phone number is 574-289-HELP.

To get more information about the community healing event, or to volunteer, you can call the S.O.S office at 574-283-1308.