Click here to download the press release as a PDF file 2011 Womanspace COL Event Launch Press Release
_________________________________________________________________________
COMMUNITIES OF LIGHT™ 10th ANNIVERSARY LAUNCH
Tuesday, October 25, 2011 at 5:30 pm
Womanspace is launching the 10th Annual Communities of Light campaign on Tuesday, October 25th, 2011 in honor of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The launch event marks the beginning of a three month long campaign designed to increase awareness about the serious issues of domestic violence and sexual assault and send the message that “Peace Begins at Home.” The Communities of Light campaign culminates with a Countywide lighting of luminaries on December 12th.
With help from Honorary Chair, Dr. Mordechai Rozanski, President of Rider University, the Communities of Light campaign launch will take place at 5:30 pm on October 25th in the Bart Luedeke Center Cavalla Room at Rider University in Lawrenceville, NJ. This event is free and open to the public. If you are interested in attending, please call 609-394-1036 to RSVP by October 24th.
“On behalf of Rider University, I am proud to serve as the honorary chair of the Womanspace 2011 Communities of Light and to host this extraordinary event in conjunction with our annual Unity Days celebration. Domestic violence continues to cloak our neighborhoods in darkness and to leave those afflicted feeling lonely and scared. However, Communities of Light will shine a revealing light on this societal plague, showing its victims that people care and that they are not alone. I can think of no setting more appropriate for this message than an institution of higher education, such as Rider.”
The purpose of the Communities of Light campaign is to increase local awareness of domestic violence and sexual abuse in the community and to show support for family, friends, neighbors or co-workers who may be suffering in silence. As homes, neighborhoods, congregations, schools and businesses throughout Mercer County are illuminated with the glow of luminaries we give hope to the victims suffering from domestic violence. With the support of businesses and the community we can let victims know that they are not alone – Womanspace is here to serve victims at the moment of crisis and throughout their journey of healing.
Carolynne Lewis-Arévalo and Christine Scheil, both trained volunteers for Womanspace Domestic Violence Victim Response Teams, are this year’s Communities of Light™ Event Co-chairs. Nearly 100% of the proceeds raised from the sale of luminary kits directly benefits client programs and ensures that no victim is ever turned away. Services include emergency shelter, counseling, court advocacy, victim assistance, and transitional housing.
Each luminary kit costs only $10 and includes supplies and safety instructions for assembling 6 luminary displays to cover 150 linear feet. Luminary kits will be available for sale at the launch event on October 25. After November 14, kits will also be on sale at over 20 retail sites throughout Mercer County, including PNC Bank, McCaffrey’s Supermarkets, Terhune Orchards, Pennington Market, Great Looks 4 Less, and Gloria Nilson, Realtors. For a complete list of retailers please visit www.womanspace.org.
It is up to the community to take a stand against abuse, hold the abusers accountable for their actions and protect victims. Womanspace provides a comprehensive array of services to individuals impacted by domestic and sexual violence and dedicated to improving the quality of life for women and their families. Last year, Womanspace served over 10,000 adults and children impacted by interpersonal violence.
Womanspace is grateful for the support of our sponsors Compass Healthcare Marketers, Verizon Wireless, J. Knipper & Company, Janssen, the Times of Trenton, 94.5 WPST, PNC Bank, Innovation Marketing Communications, Princeton Magazine, McCaffrey’s Supermarkets, and Mason, Griffin, Pierson, P.C.
If you are a victim of domestic violence or sexual assault and are in need of assistance, please call the Womanspace 24-Hour Hotline at 609-394-9000. To make a donation please contact Susan D. Klejst, Director of Development, at 609-394-0136 or at sdk@womanspace.org. You can also donate online at www.womanspace.org. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Susan Adams at 609-394-0136 or at saa@womanspace.org.
Press contact: Susan D. Klejst, Director of Development
Womanspace, Inc., 1212 Stuyvesant Ave, Trenton, NJ 08618
Phone: 609-394-0136 Fax: 609-396-1093 Email: sdk@womanspace.org
####
