According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, one in every four women will experience domestic violence in their lifetime — a reason why October is National Domestic Violence Awareness.
“I had no idea that October was also a month of domestic violence awareness,” said Calvin Stephenson, a University of Idaho student. “Sadly, I think domestic violence is an underrepresented issue in society because we tend to overlook a certain level of dysfunction.”
Societal dismissal and a lack of domestic violence awareness are the very occurrences the Verizon Foundation seeks to combat.
“One in every three people is impacted by domestic violence, which is why Verizon is committed to help victims during the month of October in addition to all year round,” said Kate Hudson, an account executive at Verizon.
This year Family Promise of the Palouse has been chosen as a Verizon grant recipient.
Family Promise of Palouse is a non-profit organization that provides services to both the homeless and survivors of domestic violence. The organization is primarily volunteer-based.
The Verizon Foundation raises awareness for domestic violence through programs like HopeLine, which connects survivors of domestic violence with necessary resources. The Verizon grant is awarded to various community organizations that aid domestic violence survivors.
“We have about 700 hundred volunteers,” said Lindsey Rinehart, a representative from Family Promise of Palouse. “All of them are educated about homelessness and associated issues, like domestic violence.”
The organization does not limit itself to one field of service, either.
“Although we are primarily a shelter for homeless families, we serve families from a variety of different backgrounds and that includes those with histories of domestic violence,” Rinehart said.
She said services include life skills classes, the development of personal support networks, meals and transportation.
Rineheart said it is Family Promise of Palouse’s eclectic demographic that piqued the interest of donors.
“We often deal with the aftermath of domestic violence,” Rinehart said. “So while some of the grant will go towards operating costs, the majority will be applied as a donation to fund special projects.”
Projects such as the Cardboard Box City — an organized event where community members are encouraged to come together and spend the night in a constructed “city” of boxes — aim to spread awareness for such issues while encouraging community participation, Rinehart said.
The grant awarded to family Promise of the Palouse represents a larger community effort to draw awareness to issues often overlooked, such as domestic violence. The effort includes events put on by the University of Idaho Violence Prevention Programs Office such as the film series Sin by Silence.
“It’s a series on activism by individuals that make real change in the world,” said Virginia Solan, UI Violence Prevention Programs coordinator.
UI, the Verizon Foundation and Family Promise of the Palouse will continue to work together to raise awareness for issues of domestic violence.
“We are working together to change our culture of violence through collaboration and celebration of the voice of the individual and power of the bystander,” Solan said.
Corrin Bond
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