Family Crisis Intervention Center solemnly honors Domestic Violence Awareness Month
West Virginia University at Parkersburg Assistant Professor Andrew Walker discusses the Clothesline Project display set up at the college this week in recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The display features T-shirts decorated by local survivors of domestic and sexual violence or created in honor of victims of such violence. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
The Clothesline Project features T-shirts decorated by survivors of domestic and sexual violence or created in honor of victims of such violence in the Family Crisis Intervention Center’s eight-county service area. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
The Clothesline Project features T-shirts decorated by survivors of domestic and sexual violence or created in honor of victims of such violence in the Family Crisis Intervention Center’s eight-county service area. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
The Clothesline Project features T-shirts decorated by survivors of domestic and sexual violence or created in honor of victims of such violence in the Family Crisis Intervention Center’s eight-county service area. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
West Virginia University at Parkersburg Assistant Professor Andrew Walker discusses the Clothesline Project display set up at the college this week in recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The display features T-shirts decorated by local survivors of domestic and sexual violence or created in honor of victims of such violence. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
The Clothesline Project features T-shirts decorated by survivors of domestic and sexual violence or created in honor of victims of such violence in the Family Crisis Intervention Center’s eight-county service area. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
The Clothesline Project features T-shirts decorated by survivors of domestic and sexual violence or created in honor of victims of such violence in the Family Crisis Intervention Center’s eight-county service area. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
The Clothesline Project features T-shirts decorated by survivors of domestic and sexual violence or created in honor of victims of such violence in the Family Crisis Intervention Center’s eight-county service area. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
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PARKERSBURG -- From July 2021 to June 2022, the Family Crisis Intervention Center had more than 2,500 contacts with victims and survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence, human trafficking and stalking.
They answered more than 2,000 hotline calls from people in Wood, Wirt, Calhoun, Jackson, Pleasants, Ritchie, Roane and Tyler counties and provided more than 10,000 contact hours of service.
But for Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a number of activities are planned to help residents learn about more than just the statistics.
Over the last week, the Clothesline Project was set up in West Virginia University at Parkersburg's Criminal Justice program courtroom. The display features T-shirts decorated by survivors of domestic and sexual violence in the center's service area or created in honor of victims of such violence.
The Criminal Justice student organization -- whose members are preparing for careers in law enforcement, corrections, advocacy, social work and more -- set up the display and collected trash bags, toilet paper and paper towels for the Family Crisis Intervention Center, which is a domestic violence shelter and rape crisis center that provides counseling, advocacy and other services.
The display "puts a face to the statistics," said Andrew Walker, assistant professor and Criminal Justice program coordinator. "Our goal for the program is to build empathy. These students are going to be working with victims."
The Family Crisis Intervention Center has hung purple bows around Government Square in downtown Parkersburg and Civitan and Howes Grove Park in Belpre, and elsewhere in its service area. Each bow carries a tag with facts about domestic violence, as well as personal stories and encouraging words from survivors.
To raise awareness, the FCIC is holding a contest in which people are asked to take a picture or selfie with the fact tags and share them on Facebook with the #fcicseemyface hashtag. Those who do will be entered for prizes with winners drawn every Friday in October.
The FCIC has planned a Remembrance on the River event for 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 27, at the Point Park Amphitheater in Parkersburg to remember those who lost their lives to domestic violence in West Virginia over the last year and celebrate those who survived. Rain location is City Council chambers on the second floor of the Municipal Building.
People who need help or want to learn more about domestic or sexual violence are encouraged to contact the FCIC at 1-800-794-2335 or 304-428-2333.
Evan Bevins can be reached at ebevins@newsandsentinel.com.
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Each Clothesline Project T-shirt reflects the experience of the creator, and the color of each shirt identifies a particular type of victimization:
* White -- Someone who lost their life to violence.
* Yellow or beige -- Emotional or physical battery.
* Red, pink and orange -- Rape.
* Blue and green -- Incest.
* Purple or lavender -- A victim targeted because of sexuality.
* Black or gray -- Added by the Family Crisis Intervention Center to the local project to represent children who have witnessed violence.