Walk In Our Footsteps Exhibition October 22, 2010

According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, approximately 1.5 million people will be victims of physical assault by an intimate partner this year, and 30 to 60 percent of those cases will involve children. Despite its prevalence, domestic violence continues to be one of the most chronically underreported crimes. On October 22, New Horizons Domestic Violence Services – a program of Community Health Center, Inc. – will help end the silence with “Walk In Our Footsteps,” a free outdoor exhibition to raise awareness through the voices of women and children victims.

The exhibit, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Middletown’s South Green, will include 54 pairs of children’s shoes, each representing a child who resided or participated in New Horizon’s services between October 2009 to October 2010; the Clothesline Project, displaying more than 40 tee shirts with the artwork and words of adult and child victims; and cardboard silhouettes of children, each featuring a story about a child affected by domestic violence. Representatives from New Horizons will be available to answer questions and provide information on community services and resources.

New Horizons provides a 24-hour emergency shelter, as well as community education, support groups, advocacy and individual counseling and consultation with CHC’s health care providers, for more than 1,450 victims fleeing domestic abuse each year.

For more information, contact Melanie Smith of New Horizons Domestic Violence Services at (860) 344-9599 or smithm@chc1.com.