Walk 2 Safety raises awareness and funds for survivors of domestic violence
By Casey Chaffin, The West Side Newspaper
On Saturday, October 3, the Center for Hope and Safety will host their Steps 2 Safety fundraiser, a 1K and 5K walk that raises money for the domestic violence nonprofit and the Marion County Domestic Violence Council. The walk’s route goes through Minto Brown Park. Registration begins at 8:15 a.m. and the walk starts at 9 a.m.
The fundraiser helps support the work of the Center for Hope and Safety, which runs a 24/7 hotline to provide support to survivors, as well as ongoing advocacy services and emergency shelter. In addition to emergency support for people currently experiencing domestic violence, the organization also does prevention outreach to youth, educating them on the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationship dynamics. The goal, Carson said, is to “prevent future generations of abuse.”
Carson said that utilization of their survivor support services has continued to increase in the past several years. “The issue is pretty prevalent,” Carson said. While it’s hard to pinpoint any one cause of an increase in referrals to the Center’s services, Carson said that the increase in homelessness services throughout the county could be a factor. Domestic violence is a leading cause of homelessness among women and children, so as services for the unhoused increase generally, so do referrals to domestic violence-specific resources.
The fundraiser will help the Center for Hope and Safety fund their work, including the emergency shelter they offer. “Costs have gone up dramatically – food and utilities have skyrocketed,” Carson said.
The walk also supports the Marion County Domestic Violence Council, which provides oversight on domestic violence support programs and conducts training on responding to cases of domestic violence.
The Center also has a need for volunteers, especially for their 24/7 hotline, which offers support and connections to resources for survivors of domestic violence. Carson said that their organization offers comprehensive training for volunteers, so they will feel prepared to take on the task of supporting people in crisis over the phone. The Center offers monthly volunteer orientations, both in-person and online, to learn about how people can get plugged in to volunteer, both on the hotline and in other capacities for the Center.
There will also be opportunities to volunteer at the Walk 2 Safety event. Walk day volunteers help with set-up and take-down, course direction, and other support tasks. Interested volunteers can email volunteer@hopeandsafety.org.
Visit hopeandsafety.org to sign up for the Steps 2 Safety fundraiser, or to learn more about the Center’s work and support services, or to become a volunteer. Registration is now available, and starts at $34 for the 5K and $12 for the 1K walk during their early-bird registration period, which ends September 7. After that registration fees will increase by several dollars. Registered walkers and runners will receive a t-shirt with their registration.