October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM), and crisis center Womenspace, Inc. is putting a new spin on their activism this month. Executive director Peggy Whalen is excited about the new project and the opportunities it offers for the cause.
According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, intimate partner violence is most common among women between the ages of 18 and 24 years old, the common ages of college students. Whalen stresses that students should be aware of the warning signs and the misconception that domestic violence is always immediately evident.
“The thing people have to remember is people don’t go out on a first date and someone beats them up,” Whalen said. “It’s coercive control, it takes time.”
Womenspace offers many services to aid victims facing domestic abuse, including emergency shelter, access to a 24-hour crisis line, support groups, transitional program and much more. To raise funds for these services during DVAM, Whalen and her team came up with “Flocking.”
“I think it’s really fun, and with such a serious issue sometimes you have to find a fun way to get the word out,” Whalen said.
“Flocking” combines good-natured pranking with a worthwhile cause. During October, Womenspace will send a flock of purple flamingos to a residential address of your choice for a small donation ($10 for a flock of 12, $15 for 24).
The staff will stealthily set them up across the lawn with a sign thanking the recipient for their good humor and informing them about DVAM. The recipient can either have the flamingos removed for free or send them somewhere else with a donation.
Whalen has already been flocked and anticipates a domino effect throughout Eugene. Like the Ice Bucket Challenge, it is an effective and light-hearted fundraiser.
Development Assistant Carrie Wright is in charge of fundraising for Womenspace, and she is the one who goes and sets up the flocks. Wright is excited by the campaign, and noted that Womenspace has never done anything like it before.
“It is silly and it’s fun and it’s giving people awareness,” Wright said. “With the purple flamingos, so many people just stop and go, ‘What the heck is that?’ And when you put a sign out they wanna stop and read the sign too. We’ve got a lot of community awareness going on. Whether they want to or not, they are involving themselves just by looking at the sign.”
UO senior Rachell Brown has been involved with Womenspace for three years and thinks the new fundraiser is “really awesome.”
“Especially with things that are happening in the media, it’s really nice to see people starting to pay attention to the issues that women are facing,” Brown said. “What Womenspace is doing with their whole flocking campaign is really cool because it’s a subtle way to raise awareness that isn’t in your face or uncomfortable.”
To Whalen, the most important part of DVAM is taking action by sending a flock, spreading awareness or helping a friend in need.
“The best thing you can do if you know someone who is being abused is to let them know that you are there,” Whalen said. “Even if your friend is resistant, don’t take it personally. Make sure they know that you are there.”
To send a flock, call Womenspace at 541-485-8232.