Staff Reports
The nonprofit Family Support Council organization plans activities to commemorate October as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a national effort to promote awareness and prevention of domestic violence.
"Domestic Violence Awareness Month is an opportunity to bring attention to the devastating problem that affects women, men and children every day in our community," said Cindy Fanning, victim services director at Family Support Council. "It's important to highlight that there's hope for current victims of this horrible crime, and hope that our community can work together to prevent any future victims. I believe our new logo embodies that feeling of hope."
The new logo was designed by Jody Hunt of Design Factor, a Reno-based graphic arts firm which designed material for the Lear Theater, Sparks Parks & Recreation, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Nevada, and Carson City's Community Council on Youth.
Along with the new image, Family Support Council adopted the new vision statement of "Our vision is to eliminate family violence in our community."
"That's really what we try to do here," said Executive Director Kristie Traver. "We're here to help victims, but also to help the community stop the violence. And we believe that, if we all work together, we truly can end violence in the home. It just takes the concerted, committed efforts of all members of our community.
"That's what we're asking people to do during Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Imagine a community without family violence and then work to build that kind of community with us," she said. "We'd like to turn Carson Valley purple during October as a clear message that Douglas County is working to become family violence-free."
Community businesses and organizations can show support of Domestic Violence Awareness Month by displaying purple ribbons or lights. There are also purple ribbon lapel pins available. Contact Family Support Council for information about displays.
Featured events include a benefit concert sponsored by the Carson Valley Chapter of Women Entrepreneurs of the World, 7 p.m. Thursday, at the CVIC Hall in Minden. Tickets may be purchased from Debbie McFadden, (775) 690-9911.
The Family Support Council celebrates the grand opening of its HOPES Haven supervised visitation and safe exchange facility with a ribbon cutting ceremony and tour, 4:30-6:30 p.m. Oct. 20, at 1561 Highway 395.
"This program is a community partnership to provide safe visitation and exchange of children in situations involving domestic violence, dating violence, child abuse, sexual assault, and stalking," said Teresa Lundberg, prevention director for the Family Support Council. "Studies show that the risk of violence is often greater for victims after separation from an abusive situation and that batterers use visitation and exchange of children as a time to inflict additional emotional, physical, and psychological abuse on victims and their children. This program provides a safer alternative to other visitation and exchange arrangements."
The visitation and exchange program is funded through a federal Office of Violence Against Women grant to Douglas County, but qualified volunteers are needed. Submit applications at Family Support Council's main office at 1255 Waterloo Lane, Gardnerville.
"As Douglas County families struggle through these tough times, we are struggling to do more with less, and having to find more creative ways to ask the community for help," said Adrienne Monroe, director of marketing and development.
Fundraising events for Family Support Council through November include the Give-A-Scrap campaign, where the community is asked to make tax-deductible donations of broken or unwanted scrap gold jewelry pieces in any karat.
Contact the Family Support Council at 782-8692 or www.family-support.org about contributing through the Text-A-Pledge fundraiser.
About the Family Support Council of Douglas County
Family Support Council was founded as a crisis hotline in 1982 and has grown to an organization providing comprehensive services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and elder abuse, as well as a prevention organization assisting the community in ending the scourge of family violence in all its forms. Annually the organization assists more than 400 individuals and families in finding ways to live more non-violent lives.
