YWCA, companies team on DV awareness

VW independent/submitted information

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and the YWCA of Van Wert County is teaming with several downtown businesses throughout the month to bring awareness to domestic violence and YWCA services available to victims. The Well Nutrition, Van Wert County Humane Society, Truly Divine, and Main Street Van Wert have all joined in this campaign to bring attention to and end domestic violence in the community. 

“Our domestic violence awareness campaign looks very different this year, due to restrictions with COVID-19,” said Jamie Evans, YWCA director of victim services. “Typically, we have several events throughout the month, but this year we have been forced to be creative and still get our message out.” 

Purple is the international color for domestic violence awareness, and, beginning October 1, The Well Nutrition will be featuring a product entitled Empower, a grape lemonade tea that is purple in color. One dollar of each sale of Empower tea will be donated to the YWCA’s domestic violence program. In addition, community members are invited to satisfy their sweet tooth at Truly Divine, which will be offering various purple iced pastries (cookies and donuts) throughout the month. 

“In addition to bringing attention to domestic violence and our services, we hope to drive people into the businesses with whom we are partnering and increase social media presence for all the businesses involved,” said YWCA Outreach Coordinator Julie Schaufelberger. 

National Animal Safety and Protection Month is held annually during the month of October. The YWCA and the Van Wert County Humane Society will be partnering to show the correlation between domestic violence and pet abuse. Often, victims of domestic violence will not leave their abuser for fear they will hurt or kill a family pet. Batterers will use threats of harm to the animal as another means to control their victims. Both the YWCA and the Humane Society will be sharing information via social media about how pet abuse and intimate partner violence are connected. 

“We know there is a link between domestic violence and animal cruelty; we’ve seen those links right here in our community,” said Van Wert Humane Society Board Member Kirsten Barnhart. “The Humane Society is proud to partner with the YWCA to spread awareness about these issues, especially during a year when more people have had to stay inside together with each other and their pets.”

The Van Wert County Courthouse and Van Wert Municipal Court will be bathed in purple lights for the YWCA’s seventh annual Purple Light Nights. Main Street Van Wert is joining the campaign this year and will be hanging strands of lights in the Former Van Wert Mayor Eugene Bagley Alley. Other area businesses and homes will also be shining purple lights. 

There will be a Pound on the Patio fitness event at the Elks lodge on October 22, starting at 6 p.m. Interested individuals may register for free on Eventbrite (https://www.eventbrite.com/myevent?eid=122232702303) and event participation is by donation only. All donations will go toward YWCA domestic violence services. Participants may stay after the class to enjoy food and drink at the Van Wert Elks lodge and the class may be moved inside in the case of inclement weather. Social distancing will be maintained. 

Information about the YWCA’s domestic violence services may be found on its website (www.ywcavanwert.org). A “quick escape” button is available on each page of the site to protect victims. The YWCA is partially funded by the United Way of Van Wert County and the Van Wert County Foundation.