Week Without Violence 2008
Dating and domestic violence were the focus of this year's Week Without Violence held October 27-31.
The Women's Center and SAVE joined with Lancaster General Hospital and Domestic Violence Services of Lancaster County to sponsor the Silent Witness Exhibit that honored the 13 adults and eight children who have died in the county as a result of domestic violence over the past four years.
Guest speaker for Week Without Violence was New Yorker Isabel Garcia, whose boyfriend shot her in the face with a magnum handgun when she was 23 years old. She survived the shooting and went on to compete in beauty contests and is the reigning Ms. New York Plus America 2008. She is also finishing a degree in early childhood education and working at a middle school in Brooklyn.
In addition, the award-winning New Zealand film "Once Were Warriors," was screened in The Women's Center. And, as is traditional, the Clothesline Project, which displays tee-shirts made by survivors of violence, hung on Hartman Green for several days.
Wooden figures in the Silent Witness exhibit represent the 13 adults and eight children who died in Lancaster County the past four years as a result of domestic violence.
The statistics tell a sobering story of the widespread problem of domestic violence in our community, state, and nation.
An empty baby's bassinet represented the community's smallest domestic violence victim.
SAVE had a literature table as part of the Silent Witness Exhibit.
Dating violence survivor Isabel Garcia told her moving story.
Isabel Garcia really connected with the audience.
Isabel took time to talk with people after her presentation.
(L-R) SAVE president Adriana Lara, guest speaker Isabel Garcia; Women's Center Director Judy Pehrson; and SAVE vice president Kim Greenfield chat by the SAVE literature table.
It was beautiful weather to display the Clothesline Project.
Survivors of violence decorated the tee-shirts hanging on the lines.
The Clothesline Project was on loan from the Lancaster YWCA.
Each tee-shirt is distinct with a personal message.
The messages are often poignant.
