LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and this year, the City of Lexington is working to raise awareness with the "It's Time" campaign.
Over the past year, city leaders in Lexington have put a major emphasis on domestic violence after seeing a big spike in incidents and deaths.
Their main message is that it's time to know more, talk more, and do something about domestic violence.
For Sam Stockley, the sporting director of the Lexington Sporting Club, life has always revolved around soccer.
"My passion for started from as early as 6 years old," said Stockley. "I was very fortunate to leave school at 16 and then go straight into my professional pathway after that, and then I ended up playing for 19 years in three different countries with 10 different teams."
Stockley told LEX 18 that none of it would have been possible without mentors.
"If it wasn't for the mentorship, and if it wasn't for good role models, and if it wasn't for a really safe good environment, I'm sure that you know I would never have carried on the game," said Stockley.
Now it's the idea of mentorship that's pushing him to champion a different cause - the issue of domestic violence in the City of Lexington.
"For our young men who are in or around or part of domestic violence which is also something very close to my own heart," said Stockley. "I was brought up in a in a single parent home when times were tough and experienced different types of abuse in some respects."
Stockley is one of many faces throughout the Lexington community taking part in the "It's Time" campaign.
"The campaign did start in 2022 when we did have a record number of domestic violence related homicides," said Stephanie Theakston, Domestic and Sexual Violence Prevention Coalition Coordinator for the city. "At that point, Mayor Gorton decided that the city needed to do something, so she initiated this prevention campaign through the Domestic and Sexual Violence Prevention Coalition. Since then, it's grown and expanded."
In Lexington, there have been at least 12 homicides related to domestic violence in 2022.
And in Kentucky, 34% of women and 14% of men will experience contact sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking with an intimate partner violence-related impact in their lifetimes.
Now, there are quite literally dozens of people from different professions working together to create a culture where violence is no longer tolerated.
If you are a victim of domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, and/or sexual assault, we want to make sure you get the resources you need.
Here are some places you can reach out to for help:
GreenHouse 17 (shelter): (800) 544-2022
Ampersand Sexual Violence Resource Center: (859) 253-2511
Lexington Police Department: (859) 258-3600
Office of the Fayette County Sheriff: (859) 252-1771
University of Kentucky Police: (859) 257-8573
