Domestic Violence Awareness Month raises awareness

Saturday, October 3, 2015

By Martha Sander, Executive Director

Council on Families in Crisis

"The cold, icy rain pelts the outside window. The fear swallows the darkness. The pounding of the heart is louder than the silence. The crystal clear tears become blood red as they run down the cheek. The screaming words echo within the soul. The pain vibrates against the walls. This isn't what I expected when I heard the words 'love you.'"

It is estimated that four million women are battered each year in the United States. It is further estimated that between three and 10 million children witness domestic violence each year in their homes. Domestic violence is a crime; a silent, raging crime with devastating impact on victims, children, and communities.

Council on Families in Crisis is a local not-for-profit corporation organized in 1986 to assist victims of domestic violence. The mission of Council on Families in Crisis is to provide emergency shelter to people experiencing domestic and sexual violence, to empower them through supportive services, and to provide community awareness, prevention, and intervention of domestic and sexual violence through education, training, advocacy, and research.

Our agency sponsors Moss House, a 24-hour residential emergency shelter for victims of domestic and sexual violence and their children.

Services include emergency shelter, 24-hour toll-free crisis hotline, crisis intervention, case management, children's services, education classes, support groups, information and referrals, court advocacy, and safety planning.

The shelter serves an average of 325 women and children each year.

Domestic violence is a pattern of assaultive and coercive behaviors that adults or adolescents use against their current or former intimate partners. These may include physical abuse, psychological abuse, rape and sexual abuse, economic abuse, isolation, stalking, damaging relationships with family and friends, and using the children.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The first Monday of October is "Day of Unity." The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence started this day of remembrance in 1981 as a way to bring domestic violence advocates together all over our nation.

Purple and white ribbons are utilized to symbolize domestic violence. Purple symbolizes survivors of domestic violence and white symbolizes victims who have lost their lives at the hands of a loved one.

In observance of this event, the Vernon County Domestic Violence Task Force will be holding a ceremony on Monday, Oct. 5 at 12:15 p.m. at the south side of the Vernon County Courthouse. There will be a short ceremony and memorial service. Names of domestic violence homicide victims with connections to Vernon County will be read and a balloon released in their honor.

There will also be a display of silhouettes in memory of those individuals throughout the month of October. The event is free and open to the public.

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