The Family Refuge Center (FRC) is hosting is first Annual Paint the Town Purple to jump-start Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
During a Friday, Oct. 1, Wine and Wisdom event, “attendees will have the opportunity to meet Family Refuge Center’s board of directors, view a presentation by FRC employees about domestic violence, hear from a survivor speaker while partaking in wine, refreshments and door prize opportunities. Immediately following the Wine and Wisdom event, we will be hosting a candlelight vigil, open to the community to celebrate survivors, mourn the loss of loved ones and to gather and share the importance of domestic violence awareness.”
Underscoring the need for such awareness, “14 out of 14 identified domestic violence programs in West Virginia participated in a national count of domestic violence services conducted [on September 10, 2020] by the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV). Services provided by domestic violence programs looked different in 2020, as frontline advocates navigated unforeseen challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other crises. The following figures represent the information shared by the participating programs about the services they provided during the 24-hour survey period.”
271 Victims Served in One Day: 148 adult and child victims of domestic violence found refuge in emergency shelters, transitional housing, or other housing provided by local domestic violence programs; 123 adult and child victims received non-residential assistance and services, including counseling, legal advocacy, children’s support groups and more.
164 Hotline Contacts Received: Domestic violence hotlines are a lifeline for victims in danger, providing support, information, safety planning, and resources via phone, chat, text, and/or email. During the 24-hour survey period, hotline staff in West Virginia received 164 contacts, averaging 7 contacts per hour.
51 Unmet Requests for Services in One Day: victims made 51 requests for services—including emergency shelter, housing, transportation, childcare, legal representation, and more—that could not be provided because programs lacked the resources to meet victims’ needs. Approximately 92% of these unmet requests were for housing or emergency shelter.
“Greatly increased funding would enable domestic violence programs to provide comprehensive services to all survivors seeking help and to prevent violence in their communities,” notes NNEDV.
Participating in FRC’s Paint the Town Purple is another way area residents can help raise funds and awareness of domestic violence.
Paint the Town Purple will be held Friday from 5-6:30 p.m. at St. James Episcopal Church, 468 Church Street in Lewisburg. The ticket cost is $25 per person non-refundable.
