City Of San Antonio: CCDV Launches Purple Porch SA To Highlight Family Violence In San Antonio And Promote Healthy Relationships

Press release from the City of San Antonio:

September 23, 2021

CONTACT: Carol Schliesinger
(210) 364-8576 | carol.schliesinger@sanantonio.gov

SAN ANTONIO (Sept. 23, 2021) — The Collaborative Commission on Domestic Violence (CCDV) is asking residents to participate in a county-wide campaign as part of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The Purple Porch SA initiative invites the public to shine a light on domestic violence by turning their porch lights purple this October to mark Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

"The Purple Porch SA campaign is a great way for the community to come together to break the stigma of talking about violence in our homes and encourage open and honest conversations among neighbors, and help those suffering from domestic violence know that they are not alone," said Judge Monique Diaz with the 150th Civil District Court, Co-Chair of the CCDV. “We hope that by propelling the conversation on domestic violence, we can also connect victims to available resources.”

“The City of San Antonio has made significant investments in addressing domestic violence as a public health issue, with a prevention approach,” said Maria Villagomez, Deputy City Manager, City of San Antonio, Co-Chair of the CCDV. “The City is working to address domestic violence as it happens today and lay the groundwork to prevent it for future generations. By participating in the Purple Porch SA campaign, our residents can help us raise awareness and share their support for survivors.”

Bexar County consistently ranks in the top five counties in Texas for domestic violence-related homicides. Pregnant women are especially vulnerable – and partner violence against them increases the risk of injury across generations. Three in 10 pregnant women experience some form of abuse. In 2020, Bexar County reported 36 family violence homicides, of which 20 were women murdered by male intimate partners. During that same year, the San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) Crisis Response Team served 14,542 family violence survivors and conducted 2,672 home visits, even as home visits were limited due to COVID-19 protocols.
Individuals and organizations can download a Purple Porch SA social media toolkit from CCDV.org.

“Every person in San Antonio knows someone who has experienced violence at home or in their relationship. San Antonio is taking a proactive approach by focusing on the prevention of domestic violence episodes as one of the health priorities of the next five years,” said Metro Health Director Claude A. Jacob. “Domestic violence is a community issue and not only a personal issue. We need to establish a safer village together to make a difference for survivors and their families.”

As part of its public health approach to violence prevention, Metro Health provides direct support to survivors of violence through Crisis Response Advocates, as well as free Positive Parenting Program (Triple P) workshops for families designed to give parents tools to promote positive behavior, manage misbehavior effectively and develop confident parents.

The Purple Porch SA campaign was organized by the CCDV Healthcare Committee, chaired by George B. Hernández Jr., president and CEO of University Health, and Jelynne LeBlanc Jamison, CEO of Center for Healthcare Services. Entities lighting their building purple throughout October include: Robert B. Green building, Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, and City Hall. The Alamodome will promote the campaign on its marquee.

“The problem of domestic violence is often hidden in families, and it’s a tough problem to tackle,” said George B. Hernández Jr., president and CEO of University Health. “We see the Purple Porch SA campaign as an important opportunity to demonstrate support for victims, and to shine the light on the work that must be done to reduce family violence and help build healthy relationships. That’s why University Health is lighting our downtown Robert B. Green campus purple for the month of October, why we are members of the Collaborative Commission on Domestic Violence, which is tackling this difficult problem at multiple levels, and why we encourage everyone to turn their porches purple next month.”

The public can voice their support for healthy relationships by turning their porch purple, either with a purple lightbulb, adding a purple wreath or purple décor to their entryway, snap a photo of their decorated doorway and post it on social media using #PurplePorchSA. In addition, people can tag the CCDV on social media using the handle @dv-commission. Individuals and organizations can download a Purple Porch SA social media toolkit from CCDV.org.

This press release was produced by the City of San Antonio. The views expressed here are the author’s own.