HOLLAND, MI (WHTC) – October is Domestic Violence Awareness month and artwork will be on display at the Opening Doors to the Voices of Survivors reception in Holland.
The reception is a collaboration of Holland’s Center for Women in Transition and Hope College’s STEP program. STEP is a peer education group comprised of Hope College students that wish to educate their peers about interpersonal violence, empower students to become active bystanders, and positively effect social change on campus.
The artwork on display is created by survivors of domestic and sexual violence and will include a piece from Stacie Dubay called “The Door” which was an ArtPrize entry in 2009.
Lesley A. Coghill is the Prevention and Outreach Coordinator for The Center for Women in Transition and says the biggest misconceptions about domestic violence is that someone can just leave when they want to. “It’s not just easy to walk out and once someone leaves usually that is when the danger increases in their situation. That’s when the abuser tries to gain control back. The victim is expressing their own self empowerment and choice is choosing to leave. it can become very dangerous for the victim to leave at that time.”
Holland’s Center for Women in Transition is located at 411 Butternut Drive in Holland and there is a 24-hour crisis line at 1-800-848 5991.
The reception takes place Monday, October 24, from 4-7 p.m. at Martha Miller center located at 257 Columbia Avenue in Holland.
