Volunteers such as Cristina Ruiz and Sandra Lee from last year’s event will be at the ready, helping to make the 4th Annual Chili Cook-Off a raging success.

By Emily Blackwood

When Respond Inc. was founded in 1974, domestic violence didn’t exist in the judicial system.

“Back then they didn’t even call it domestic violence,” said Respond Inc.’s Chief Programs Officer Amanda Reichmuth. “It was within your rights to abuse your spouse.”

Today, the nonprofit serves more than 150,000 members of the community with its emergency hotline, domestic violence shelter and prevention and education programs. Reichmuth says they’re able to help even more victims of abuse by partnering with police departments to collaborate on cases where the victim is at the highest risk of being killed.

“We had a client who wanted to participate in her abuser’s trial, but was very fearful,” Reichmuth said. “On the day of court, she said if we weren’t going, she wasn’t either.”

But she did go, and the attorneys told her that if she hadn’t showed up, her abuser probably wouldn’t have plead guilty.

“By her being there she was able to express about how the abuse had affected her. She got to get up there and let him know that she wasn’t broken. She was moving on.”

Getting to that point is a different process for every victim of abuse. Reichmuth said the situations Respond Inc.’s clients are in are often far more complicated than people realize.

“There’s no perfect recipe for how someone can be safer,” she said. “People just don’t have a firm grasp on how multifaceted the abuse can be.”

Respond Inc. is able help so many people escape domestic violence because of community support. Events like the upcoming 4th Annual Chili Cook-Off help raise money to fund the educational programs and shelter for the victims.

Four local chefs will compete for the coveted Chili Cook-Off Trophy by winning over the taste buds of the celebrity judges. The event also features spicy drinks, spicy ice cream and, of course, a hot sauce tasting contest.

Tickets cost $25. The event runs from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 25 and will be held at Holiday Inn Boston Bunker Hill, 30 Washington St.

For more information visit www.respondinc.org. For crisis support, call RESPOND’s hotline at 617-623-5900.