Downtown businesses will be lighting up their display windows in purple to bring awareness to relationship violence this weekend.
The campaign, put on by the Ridge Meadows Ending Violence in Relationships Committee, EVIR, highlights the fact that incidents of relationship violence can have a devastating effect on families, including children who witness or experience violence.
Supplies are being handed out for free to participating downtown businesses along 224 Street on Friday, Oct. 14, including one or two strands of purple lights; an extension cord; an information poster for their store window along with materials to give to people who ask about the lights; and supplies to hang the lights.
Business will be lighting up their windows the week of Oct 16-23.
The EVIR Committee is made up of a dedicated group of service providers from Cythera Transition House Society, the RCMP, Ministry of Children Family Development, Maple Ridge Community Corrections, Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows Community Services, Family Justice Services, Family Education Centre, Fraser Health and other agencies.
The committee offers training and workshops in addition to holding awareness campaigns.
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They also offer safety planning links on their website for those impacted by intimate abuse or violence including: The Danger Assessment Tool by Jacquelyn C. Campbell; safety planning, a tool put out by Cythera Transition House Society to help women create safety for themselves with respect to domestic violence; and a Safety Planning Guide from Ending Violence Association of B.C.
To get involved in the event, contact EVIR by emailing ridgemeadowsevir@gmail.com.
For more information about Ridge Meadows Ending Violence in Relationships Committee go to ridgemeadowsevir.ca.
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