July 22, 2025
Toby Scofield
Out of all the crimes someone can become the victim of, domestic violence can be among the hardest to identify. When the assailant is a stranger or acquaintance, it is often easier to remove yourself from the situation. But when the assailant is your parent, partner, sibling, or child, recognizing the abuse can be far more difficult.
The Marigold Project is a family-run organization dedicated to raising awareness of domestic violence in Fairfield County. Through several events held throughout the year, they spread information and collect donations for The Lighthouse Domestic Violence Shelter.
The project issued the following statement:
“With the public’s support, our events have raised over $14,000 since 2019. Family members and people from the community often donate supplies to the shelter and attend other Lighthouse fundraisers—this includes our team of three as well.”
The Marigold Project’s mission to help victims of domestic violence was born from personal tragedy.
“This work is done in loving memory of Teresa K. Edwards, whose life was tragically ended by her spouse through domestic violence over 10 years ago,” said Makenzie Holland. “My family and I started this because we needed to do something—anything—to keep other families from experiencing what we did in 2012. It shook everyone, even if you barely knew her.”
Domestic violence between spouses is an unfortunately common occurrence. According to the Ohio Attorney General’s 2024 Victims of Domestic Violence by County and Age report, Fairfield County saw 565 reported incidents of domestic violence (see PDF page 17). Of those cases, approximately 59.65% of the victims were the wife, husband, or live-in partner of the suspect—103 were wives, 33 were husbands, and 101 were partners living with the suspect.
Although the report does not include data specific to Pickerington, an emailed response from the Pickerington Police Department stated that of the 65 domestic violence reports made in 2024, 9 involved spouses and 26 involved intimate partners—making up 53.85% of the total reports.
If you suspect that you or someone close to you may be a victim of domestic violence, help is available. The National Domestic Violence Hotline can be reached by calling 1-800-799-7233 or by texting 88788. Locally, The Lighthouse has a 24/7 crisis line at (740) 687-4423.
In addition to their helpline, The Lighthouse offers a secure space for victims seeking to escape abuse. Because space is limited, callers are asked to check availability in advance and confirm eligibility for services. The shelter provides food, clothing, and basic necessities for victims and their families. As a nonprofit, these services rely on donations from the community.
Alongside monetary donations—such as those raised by the Marigold Project—The Lighthouse also accepts donations of the following items:
- Air fresheners (non-plug-in) / Room deodorizers
- Toilet plungers
- Toilet bowl brushes
- Toilet cleaner
- 60- & 75-watt light bulbs
- Hair dryers
- Tall kitchen garbage bags
- 4-gallon garbage bags
- Pine-Sol cleaner
- Bleach
- Hand can openers
- Paper towels
- Dish soap
- Liquid hand soap (bottles, not bars)
They also maintain an online Walmart Registry, and more up-to-date information about their needs can be found on the Get Involved page of their website.
To schedule a donation drop-off, call The Lighthouse at (740) 687-4423. Your donations help provide shelter, food, court advocacy, protection orders, and access to counseling for victims of domestic violence.
You can also support The Lighthouse by attending fundraising events, such as the Marigold Project’s fall craft show on October 4th, from 9:00AM-2:00PM. The craft show will be held at 904 Main St. in Lancaster, Ohio. Vendor registration is open and available for $25 per spot. More information at this event can be found here.
“Our well-known event is Second Chance Purses, which relies on donations of gently used bags, wallets, and purses,” Holland added. “We accept donations year-round, whether for the Second Chance Purses event or as monetary gifts.”
