Domestic Violence Purple Ribbon Walk is today
Sep. 29—Pinnacle Community Services will recognize October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month with its Domestic Violence Purple Ribbon Walk and Survivor Art Show at 4:30 p.m. today. Members of the community are invited to wear purple and meet near the corner of Main and Third streets in Niagara Falls to take a collective stand against domestic violence. Following a brief presentation, attendees will proceed to tie purple ribbons on the trees along Third Street. Register for the walk at www.pinnaclecs.org/dvwalk .
In conjunction with the walk, the Gold Bar at 435 3rd St. will be showcasing artwork created by local domestic violence survivors and their children. Passage Domestic Violence Services, a program of Pinnacle Community Services, provides art as a healing tool for the families they serve. This year's theme is "Dreaming of the Future." The community is welcome to attend the exhibit after the walk is completed.
Statistics show that 20 people on average experience intimate partner violence every minute in the U.S, which equates to 10 million people annually. Help is available by calling Passage's 24/7 Confidential Hotline at (716) 299-0909. In 2021, Passage House fielded 665 hotline calls, resulting in 66 adults and 51 children receiving residential services. Passage Domestic Violence Services also provides counseling, advocacy and support groups to survivors in and out of shelter.
Caleigh Skinner, LMSW, Pinnacle's director of Domestic Violence Services, said, "We are in a time when the needs of survivors are more complex than ever before and a severe lack of appropriate housing has increased the burden on our system to help survivors. This has created a community problem and Pinnacle is at the forefront of building personalized care plans that include comprehensive, wraparound, and supportive services that are guided by survivor needs. We need more people to know about domestic violence, to become aware of it, to know how to help others and themselves. October is an opportunity to raise awareness and help stop domestic violence."
Since 1895, Pinnacle Community Services has been providing essential services to the community, through prevention and intervention programming in the areas of mental health, domestic violence, runaway and homeless youth, and child abuse and neglect. Their mission: "Side by Side, Step by Step ... we strengthen our community by supporting and empowering individuals and families on their journey."
