Heartly House, forensic nurses try new ways to reach vulnerable people during COVID-19

The number of calls made to Heartly House’s 24-hour hotline, which offers help for victims of intimate partner violence, sexual assault and child abuse, are drastically down. Domestic violence advocates worry that as incidents increase people cannot safely call for help.

For the past week, the hotline received fewer than 10 calls a day, said Inga James, director of Heartly House.

On March 16, the day Gov. Larry Hogan shut down bars and restaurants, outside of take-out and drive-thru options, Heartly House received 127 calls.

The next day, the nonprofit received four.

“We’re getting nothing,” James said.

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