With domestic violence on the rise, awareness, support, and community engagement has never been more critical
Media Contact: Lucie Fornasiero, EAFocus Communications; lucie@eafocus.com; 248.925.6726
Mount Clemens, Mich. – September 30, 2022 – Turning Point, an agency whose mission is to empower domestic and sexual violence survivors through comprehensive services and resources, is joining in the national recognition of October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month by hosting an ‘Immersive Domestic Violence Awareness Experience Celebrating Survivor Resilience’ on Saturday, October 15. The event was designed by the agency’s Awareness Month Committee and will be held at Turning Point’s central office at 76 S. Main Street in Mt. Clemens from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. Sara Dobbyn, Senior Program and Education Director at Turning Point who also serves on the committee, is excited about the day.
“Domestic violence is a highly pervasive crime that impacts us all,” Dobbyn remarked. “This event is designed to provide a space to uplift survivor voices and experiences, while also educating the community on ways we can all provide support and take action.”
The event is open to anyone, including survivors, community members, and loved ones. It is an opportunity to learn more about domestic violence, how it impacts survivors, and what communities can do to raise awareness and promote change. The day will include many pieces to highlight survivor voices and experiences including an “In Her Shoes” simulation, the Clothesline Project, a children’s photography project, and survivor quilts. There will also be opportunities to hear from Turning Point’s Survivors Speakers Bureau and learn more about the organization, create shirts or swatches for the Clothesline Project or survivor quilt, and register to vote. The day will also honor lives lost due to domestic violence. More information can be found here.
In the United States, nearly 20 people per minute on average experience physical abuse by an intimate partner, which translates to more than 10 million people per year, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV). Additionally, the NCADV notes that “1 in 15 children are exposed to intimate partner violence each year, and 90% of these children are eyewitnesses to this violence.”
“Turning Point works every day to improve these statistics, and we won’t stop until our work is done,” Dobbyn affirmed.
About Turning Point
Turning Point provides comprehensive, free, and confidential programs for domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking survivors, their loved ones, and the community. Services include a 24-hour hotline, emergency shelter, housing, trauma advocacy/counseling, personal protection order assistance, legal advocacy, forensic nurse exams, first response advocacy, prevention, and community education. Second Hand Rose, another Turning Point service, provides survivors with gently used items while providing an opportunity for the community to donate and shop. Serving Metro Detroit for more than 40 years, Turning Point has helped over 100,000 survivors. Visit www.turningpointmacomb.org for more information.