The conclusion of the Stepping Stones 2023 Domestic Violence Awareness Campaign
In passing, many Taylor County residents have taken note of Stepping Stones Domestic Violence (DV) Awareness Month displays. The month-long campaign was broken down into four portions, each of which debuted throughout October with the intention of bringing attention to the profound impacts of domestic violence right here in America’s Heartland.
The first part of the campaign, DV’s Heavy Price Tag, was shared to the agency’s Facebook page at the beginning of the month, with various graphics following. These graphics sought to emphasize the mind-blowing sum of 657.8 million taxpayer dollars that Wisconsin expended due to intimate partner violence and family violence in 2022.
Part two of the campaign, the Family Violence Display, debuted the second week of October and featured the silhouettes of a family of six. Each family member was displayed with their own complex, realistic storylines attached to them. The purpose of this display was to call attention to the complexity of dysfunctional family systems, as well as those existing within them. Though families share a home and many of the same experiences, each person is impacted by those experiences differently. Real People, Real Lives: Clothesline Display was the third portion of the 2023 DV Awareness campaign and puts us face to face with a more tangible message. Stepping Stones did not string 96 articles of clothing across the Stepping Stones property because the agency clothes dryer broke. Each clothing item is reflective of a Wisconsinite who lost their life to a domestic violence homicide in 2022. Just like you and me, each of the people represented on the clothesline display had picked out their clothes for the day and made plans for the tomorrow they never got to see. Amongst the victims being honored in this display, there were men, women, children, babies, elderly Wisconsinites and members of the LGBTQ community. DV does not concern itself with labels or demographics. It’s time we start seeing abuse for what it is, a social issue that truly affects us all, in one way or another.
The final portion of DV Awareness Month was a symbol of hope for all who are living in the wide-cast shadow of domestic violence. Purple lanterns burning in the windows of Stepping Stones throughout the entire month of October represented a message to those who are currently living with abuse as well as those who have lost someone to violence; you are not alone nor are you forgotten.
Stepping Stones is committed to raising awareness and helping to create a safer community for all of us. If you or someone you know is in a harmful situation or in need of resources, please contact our office at 715-7483795 or our 24/7 crisis line at 715-747-5140.
