BRIGHTON – A local nonprofit is raising awareness about domestic violence this October and hopes the community will support the cause.
LACASA will host its annual GLOW Gathering at the Brighton Mill Pond and Amphitheater at 411 Mill Pond Lane on Tuesday, October 1 at 7pm. The event is free to attend.
The GLOW Gathering will include “shared voices, music and movement to honor the bravery of survivors and remember victims who have lost their lives to domestic violence,” according to a press release.
October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. LACASA invites businesses and residents to place purple lights on storefronts and homes throughout October, along with yard signs. Lights and signs are available for a nominal donation at the LACASA Collection, 1475 N. Burkhart Road, in Tanger Outlets Howell.
Purple is the cause color of domestic violence.
Donations for Purple Lights benefit domestic violence survivors at the LACASA Center.
“The GLOW campaign is a fantastic tool for the community to show support for survivors and their families,” said Kayla Grant, Director of Social Change Advocacy for LACASA. “We encourage people to learn more about domestic violence and the role we can all play in preventing and responding to it by attending our GLOW Gathering and displaying purple lights in October.”
According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, an average of 24 people per minute are victims of intimate partner violence in the US. The number exceeds 12 million women and men in one year.
Bobette Schrandt, president and CEO of LACASA, said the nonprofit’s goal is to help victims who enter the shelter become survivors and then thrive.
“Wherever we go, there is someone who knows someone who has experienced domestic violence in their life,” Schrandt said. “Getting the word out is critical as we want to be able to provide these services to victims and survivors.”
LACASA opened a new shelter in January and has more than doubled the capacity of the previous location, Schrandt said. The new accommodation has 16 rooms of different sizes and 52 beds. Schrandt noted that LACASA is seeing many more children entering the shelter with their families.
Schrandt wonders if the increase in capacity is due to more domestic violence incidents, or if people are more aware of LACASA’s services. The nonprofit organization offers 35 different programs.
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When residents and businesses display purple lights for National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Schrandt said, “It can start a conversation.”
“In Livingston, the support for LACASA has been phenomenal, and we can’t do this without the community,” Schrandt said. “That support is critical to the work we do and to reaching the people we need.”
For more information, visit lacasacenter.org/domestic-violence-support. LACASA has a 24/7 helpline available by calling 866-522-2725 or texting 517-777-8005.
— Contact reporter Evan Sasiela at esasiela@livingstondaily.com. Follow him on Twitter @SalsaEvan.
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: LACASA asks locals to use purple lights and yard signs this October
