Walk a Mile in Her Shoes Event Held Oct. 1

Mayor James Bouley and the Crisis Center of Central New Hampshire proudly announce the first Merrimack County march against domestic and sexual violence, WAM/Walk a Mile In Her Shoes, to take place October 1, 2014 on Main Street in Concord New Hampshire. Early bird registration is now at firstgiving.com/crisiscenterofcentralnh/WAM for only $35 per person with a T-shirt. (For youth under 13 year of age it is $10 per person.)

It is a great opportunity to raise awareness of this devastating issue and funds for preventive programs for Merrimack County youth. The event will be hosted by none other than 105.5 WJYY’s Nazzy and AJ Dukette. Mayor Bouley, and a victim will speak. Food and prizes (for the best shoes, fastest walker and more) will add fun to the event.

WAM/WALK A MILE IN HER SHOES invites the community (and most especially men whose support is critical) to join this urgent conversation and to have some fun. Men are our greatest allies – most men do not commit these crimes, but these crimes are overwhelmingly committed by men. We need men to voice loudly and clearly that this behavior is NOT the norm. Besides…who doesn’t want to see men tottering about in high heels? WALK A MILE began in 2001 with a small group of men and has become a world-wide movement with tens of thousands of men, women and youth raising needed support for local crisis centers.

In Merrimack County 1 out of 2 women will experience domestic and or sexual violence in her lifetime. This crime is often kept under wraps because victims fear they will not be supported, they fear they will not hear these words… “I believe you.” Additionally this crime comes at great cost to our schools, businesses and more. Nationally, the cost of intimate partner violence annually exceeds $5.8 billion, including $4.1 billion in direct health care expenses.

How do we begin to address this epidemic of violence? The answer is summed up in three words. First… we need to TALK ABOUT IT.

“There are no more excuses, no need to sweep things under the rug. It might be hard to talk about, but this problem exists and we must come together to put a stop to these crimes.”

- Mayor James Bouley, Concord, NH

WAM/Walk A Mile In Her Shoes allows us to have some fun and create community conversations about a big problem that is too often ignored. It is a community opportunity to shine a light on a problem that IS hard to talk about, and educate as many community members as is possible to the fact that violence is a choice, a choice that is never appropriate and that it is NEVER the victim’s fault.

“If you came home one day and found out that half your neighbors had been robbed, you would be very aware there was a problem. You would take action. You wouldn’t just let it slide by.”

- Jason Speltz, NH National Guard, Concord, NH

Don’t be a bystander! Join Mayor Bouley and community members and teams on October 1.

About The Crisis Center of Central New Hampshire:

Mission

To empower those affected by domestic and sexual violence to make positive changes in their lives. We deliver this support “one on one” and in group settings. We believe that educating our community about these issues is the first step toward preventing these crimes.

Vision

The vision of CCCNH is to end domestic and sexual violence in Merrimack County.

Distinguisher

The Crisis Center of Central New Hampshire (CCCNH) is the only entity focused on providing comprehensive support services to those affected by domestic and sexual assault in Merrimack County. Services include:

24-hour crisis line 1-866-841-6229 (TTY & Language Line Interpretive services available), court and hospital advocacy, client education, social service referrals, emergency shelter, educational programs and in-person and phone support.

Links:

Crisis Center of Central NH: cccnh.org

Crisis Center of Central NH Facebook: facebook.com/CrisisCenterOfCentralNewHampshire?ref=hl

New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence: nhcadsv.org/

No More Domestic and Sexual Violence: nomore.org.

Submitted text. Courtesy photo.