NORWICH – October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. In an ongoing effort to hamper the growing epidemic of domestic violence, Catholic Charities of Chenango County will hold its tenth annual “Celebration of Women” from 5-7 p.m., Thursday, at the Howard Johnson Hotel in Norwich.

Each year, the Celebration of Women aims to enlighten, empower, and educate about the perils of domestic violence and how it can affect people’s lives. According to the New York State Division of Criminal Justice, there were a total 330 instances of domestic violence reported in Chenango County in 2012 (7 aggressive assaults; 299 simple assaults; 12 sex offenses; and 12 violations of protection orders). The City of Norwich Police Department alone reported 215 of those total cases.

The Celebration of Women event intends to address these challenges head on and give victims of domestic violence a place to turn to for help, said Karen Glasbergen, director of the Chenango County Catholic Charities Crime Victims Program.

“Domestic violence isn’t just about hitting and screaming. It’s emotional abuse, too,” said Glasbergen. “Domestic violence happens in every type of relationship: rich, poor, middle income, gay, straight - it can happen to anybody.”