Voices carried across the Diag at the University of Michigan's campus Oct. 19 as members from SafeHouse Center and the Sexual Assault Prevention & Awareness Center in Ann Arbor banded together for an educational rally.
Despite the afternoon's heavy rain and wind, advocates called out continuous domestic violence statistics and passed out information to raise awareness about the issue in Washtenaw County.
Julaine LeDuc, director of resource development for Ann Arbor's SafeHouse Center, which builds communities free of domestic violence and sexual assault, said the event was intended to communicate that domestic violence is real and happens locally.
LeDuc also said that she felt fortunate to partner with SAPAC during National Domestic Violence Awareness Month to let people on campus know that one out of four people are survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.
"It doesn't discriminate with age or socioeconomic status or racial status," LeDuc said. "We have response teams; we have a crisis line. We go out rain or snow, sleet or shine to let survivors know about the services we provide and to bring them hope."
Those words were well received among the students, according to U of M student Ellie Howe, who also works for SAPAC, which provides educational and supportive services for the campus community related to sexual assault, dating and domestic violence, sexual harassment and stalking.
"People have been really supportive, really interested.
"We've had a lot of students expressing a lot of surprise when they find out how common domestic violence is. We've had students disclose experiences of domestic violence in their families and talk about how they are personally connected to the issue," Howe said. "It has really started a conversation. People are feeling connected to this issue."
Director of SAPAC Holly Rider-Milkovich said that both her organization and SafeHouse Center have a close relationship in which they promote events together and provide referrals to one another.
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