The one-year anniversary of Ruth’s House, the local domestic-violence shelter, served as a celebration of Beaufort County residents and others who support Ruth’s House and its associated programs.

The event brought public officials, volunteers and victims of domestic violence together Friday night at Harvest Church in Washington to participate in that celebration.

State Rep. Paul Tine, several Beaufort County commissioners and Ruth’s House volunteers dined before hearing speeches from Darryl Evans, former associate pastor at First Presbyterian Church of Washington and a co-founder of the shelter; Deb Ryals, Ruth’s House board president; and a domestic-violence victim who received aid from the program.

“I started having this dying urge to have a domestic-violence shelter in Beaufort County,” said Evans. “One day, I picked up the phone and started calling pastors.”

Father Kevin Johnson, a board member, talked about the journey taken to establish the community’s new domestic-violence shelter and the project’s. Ruth’s House replaces a former domestic-violence program that served the county.

“Here we are one year later to give thanks to God and to all of you (the volunteers),” he said.

Ryals spoke about the shelter’s impact on the community, the horrors of domestic violence and the hard work and dedication by volunteers that make the shelter possible.

“Domestic violence knows no age group, ” said Ryals. “If we can do a little, God can do a lot. You (the volunteers) don’t know what an inspiration you are to these ladies.”

The Ruth’s House program has grown since its start in February 2013, with 19 different churches receiving offerings to fund the shelter and its related services.

“This is a God thing,” said Evans. “It’s a kingdom project.”

According to Ryals, the project will focus on educating the public about domestic violence this year.

For more information on Ruth’s House, visit www.ruths-house.org.