 Right now, it's more important than ever for us to bring light to the issue and support victims of domestic violence. Because we're in isolation due to this global pandemic, some victims of domestic violence are facing unique circumstances where they cannot escape their abusers. According to research done by the National Domestic Violence Hotline, during the first few months of the pandemic, they experienced a nine percent increase in the contact volume and a 10 percent of those calls cited COVID-19 as a contributing factor. Because of isolation and social distancing protocols, some abusers are taking advantage of an already stressful situation. For example, abusers have been reported using COVID-19 as a scare tactic so that victims would not see their kids, family, or close friends, as well as holding important medical information about the virus. It is important to note that other situations that are being intensified because of this global pandemic could also play a factor in domestic violence cases, including financial constraints, alcohol abuse, and the inability to get to a safe place. I am so proud of all the work already being done in our city to combat domestic violence, including our Columbia Police Department under the leadership of Chief Skip Holbrook. The department takes matters of domestic violence very seriously and not only work to arrest those perpetrators of domestic violence, but also helps establish a support line for victims to overcome their abusive situations. I'm also proud of all of our local partners, like the Sistercare and the South Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. Sistercare is an amazing resource in the Midlands as they provide services and advocacy to victims of domestic violence in their children. In fact, Sistercare is busier than ever due to the pandemic and has experienced an 85% increase in calls to the crisis line during the last three months compared to last year. The South Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, better known as Ketvasa, has been the statewide advocacy leader since 1981. They help with critical needs of domestic violence survivors and advocate for legislative change to help combat domestic violence. Thank you again and let's all take steps to end domestic violence.