Jerry Lynn Sparks speaks now because she almost lost her voice — and her life.

“I was nearly killed when I asked for a divorce,” said Sparks, a mother and domestic abuse survivor.

“Because I had nothing, I had everything taken from me: all my money, my home, my identity, everything was taken. Thanks to the groups in this room, I was able to get my life back.”

There are more than 50 organizations in Rochester and Monroe County that work together in the Domestic Violence Consortium, helping to assist men and women in domestic violence situations get to safer places and restart their lives.

The 2018 Monroe County Domestic Violence Report shows there were 4,867 reports of domestic violence in the county last year.

Of that, 54 percent come from the city of Rochester. The remaining 46 percent is reported in the suburbs.

Monroe County's domestic violence rates are 1.6 times higher than the state’s rates, excluding New York City.  The city of Rochester's rates are three times higher and the city’s rates are higher than they have been in five years.

“I actually think the increase in numbers, it makes me optimistic because I think that more survivors are feeling more comfortable reaching out and coming forward with their story,” said Meaghan de Chateauvieux, president and CEO of Willow Domestic Violence Center, a licensed provider of shelter and services for victims and survivors.