Umbrella Raises Domestic Violence Awareness in NEK

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Created on Wednesday, 24 October 2012 17:30
Written by Katelyn Zenie

domestic violenceST. JOHNSBURY - October is domestic violence awareness month, and domestic and sexual violence is a chronic issue in Vermont.

 

 

Domestic and sexual violence happen during every month of the year, and is nationwide issue.  An organization based in St. Johnsbury is trying to bring these injustices to light to make Caledonia and Essex counties a safer and happier place for women and families to live.

 

Umbrella is a private, non-profit organization whose mission is to offer support and special programs to women and families in need of help dealing with this hidden crime. This organization was born from a community wide meeting that took place in 1976, and has grown ever since. Umbrella has three main programs called Kingdom Child Care Connection, The Advocacy Program, and The Family Room that help families and the community with short and long term solutions.

 

The Kingdom Child Care Connection is set up to help families find appropriate and affordable child care, as well as learning about child care licensing regulations. The program helps connect families with one of the 110 registered and licensed child care providers in Caledonia and Southern Essex Counties. In fact, the child care subsidy program serves over 400 families in finding them affordable child care, while Umbrella's Child Care Referral program assists an average of 235 families with the same task each year.

 

Another Umbrella program, The Family Room program offers families safe and supervised child visitation and parent exchanges, along with resources and education for parents. The programs main priority is to keep everybody safe and make decisions based on the children's best interest. Supervised visitation and exchanges must be made with a monitor present. The monitor is a staff member or volunteer who must participate in ongoing education in child development, conflict resolution, separation and divorce issues, child abuse and neglect, intimate partner violence and stalking, mental health, and substance dependency.

 

Finally, Umbrella's Advocacy program offers 24 hour support for women who don't feel safe in their relationship with their current partner, or had been sexually assaulted. The program stresses that nobody deserves to be beaten, raped, or threatened, and that there are laws to protect those people. This program promotes social change though education and action that develop resources for community members, in order to end domestic and sexual violence.

 

Umbrella held a remembrance ceremony for eight women who were killed as a result of domestic abuse in the area in the last decade. There was symbolic wooden cut outs of the women, along with poems and stories that helped mark this somber event. The turnout for this event was better then expected as attendees honored victims, along with gaining much needed community awareness about the issue. Susan Carr, a Caledonia County Victim Advocate says "People need to understand it’s still the hidden crime. Nobody likes to talk about it."  Car went on to say, "You know, you can wonder what's going on, but nobody wants to be the one who goes up to somebody and says 'are you okay' 'is there something I can do for you' 'are you safe.'" Domestic and sexual violence are still a colossal concern for many families. Umbrella has reached out to over 1,700 people in Vermont last year, and will continue to take strides to end this crime in our community.