VERMONT – In recognition of sexual assault awareness month, Tuesday, April 30, AWARE, based in Hardwick, is calling on the community to wear denim in recognition of Denim Day, a global campaign to raise awareness about sexual violence and support survivors.
Advocacy organizations across Vermont are taking the extra spotlight to celebrate their community, fundraise for programs and educate the public about their services.
The month-long campaign has been observed by groups and leaders nationwide since 2001, organized by the nonprofit National Sexual Violence Resource Center.
Three groups across the state are advocating for a safer, more just Vermont.
AWARE, a non-profit organization established in 1984 and based in Hardwick, is dedicated to resolving the causes and effects of domestic violence and sexual assault in the greater Hardwick area. AWARE provides services year-round, 24 hours a day, governed by a volunteer board of directors, utilizing paid employees and numerous volunteers. AWARE serves the towns of Cabot, Craftsbury, Greensboro, Hardwick, Stannard, Walden, and Woodbury.
“This is actually our first year for Denim Day, so we’re hoping that the community will join us in wearing jeans on that day or any denim,” said Interim Director Mirana Elkins.
According to Elkins, every year varies in how the organization brings awareness. She provided some context for this year’s denim day. “It began after a ruling by the Italian Supreme Court to overturn a rape conviction, because the justices felt that since the victim was wearing tight jeans, she must have helped the person who raped her remove them. Victim blaming. Following the reversal, the women in the Italian parliament came to work wearing jeans in solidarity with the victim.”
What started as a local protest has since grown into an international symbol of solidarity and protest against victim-blaming and sexual violence. In addition to the Denim Day campaign, AWARE has an installation at Memorial Park in Hardwick to honor victims of domestic and sexual violence.
“So this is just one of the newer ways that we’re trying to spread awareness in our communities, along with the flags. We also have a fundraiser at the Buffalo Mountain Co-op in Hardwick, asking shoppers to round up the total of their purchase,” said Youth Advocate Tonda Bryant.
Bryant provided perspective on the bystander effect, the impact of victim blaming and more. “When you hear someone say a sexist joke or make a comment, that is victim blaming. Sexual violence and assault sits on the foundation of our culture of victim blaming and sexism.”
“You can have a guy who’s a friend, who makes a joke and you think, okay, this is somebody that I know, that they don’t mean it in that way or whatever. But the fact that they’re saying that, and not having the awareness that people that you may or may not know, and maybe the person you know commits crimes against women and children,” she said, then reiterated her earlier point. “That rests on the foundation of a culture of sexism and victim blaming.”
“So many victims don’t come forward because of the victim blaming. The majority of victims, the vast majority of victims do not report.” said Bryant. “So it ties back into this, if the community can stand up and all wear denim, it makes a huge statement and shows that you are in support of those that may not be able to stand up for themselves,” continued Elkins.
According to Bryant, Hardwick’s unique geographic positioning means the organization answers to multiple county courts. The organization serves seven towns across three counties, working with the Caledonia Children’s Advocacy Center and Department of Children and Families (DCF) in Morrisville. “It’s three different courts, and there can be even four different local community partners in regards to family centers or DCF. So it gets complicated because of where we are located.”
Like many organizations in recent months, the current administration has created a sense of uncertainty regarding federally funded projects, programs, and positions. AWARE receives grant funding to assist survivors of sexual violence, as well as child sexual abuse.
“We have a lot of concerns, absolutely, we do. Like, right now, our funding has not been frozen as some other organizations are experiencing. But right now, we’re receiving funding,” said Bryant.
“We’re very concerned and we will cross whatever bridges we have to to continue to serve the community,” Elkins added.
She continued, “Contingency planning, things like that are happening. There’s a saying, prepare for the worst, hope for the best. That’s where we’re at right now. It’s unique in a sense, but it’s also not unique that we’ve been through scary times before with federal funding and state funding. We’ve always made it through.”
According to the World Health Organization, one-in-three women, around 736 million, are subjected to physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner or sexual violence from a non-partner. To learn more about AWARE or how to get involved, call us at (802) 472-6463 or visit website AWAREvt.org.
Umbrella, a resource center for women, families and other survivors of domestic and sexual violence, serves Orleans, Caledonia and Essex counties. Its advocates help survivors through safety planning, assistance filing legal forms, emergency housing and a 24-hour hotline.
Umbrella also runs Kingdom Child Care Connection, which offers child care subsidies and works with child care providers to accommodate the sensitive and stressful needs of families facing violence. They also have a service called The Family Room, a monitored space for visitation or child handoffs in the case of shared custody.
In the spring of 2023, Umbrella launched The Spark, a violence prevention warmline meant for non-emergency situations (unlike a hotline). The second of its kind in the U.S., according to Umbrella, the line accepts calls from people who want to stop or prevent themselves from causing harm to their partners.
The confidential phone line is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day and run by responders trained to guide abusive partners away from hurting others.
“It’s meant for folks to call as a way to ideally support them and de-escalate really heightened moments to prevent any harm happening in the relationship,” said Chelsea Coro, social change coordinator at Umbrella.
Umbrella also has youth education programs. Workers do classroom visits in high schools focused on building the idea of consent and healthy relationships.
Umbrella’s main programming focus lands in October for Domestic Violence Awareness Month, but for this spring, the group will be hosting its sixth annual spring gala at Mountain View Farm in East Burke. The event is slated for May 16 from 5:30 to 10 p.m.
This year’s gala theme is “Radiance,” and all of the proceeds will go directly toward the nonprofit’s programs, Umbrella says.
The Safety Team, based in South Burlington, is an interpersonal violence prevention organization that teaches people the basics of martial arts to help them heal from trauma or learn how to protect themselves and others in dangerous situations.
The Safety Team has two major programs. The first is the Trauma Recovery Program, which is funded in part by a Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services grant, though, the group says, that money is subject to a federal pause.
The program is a free set of sessions designed for women who have experienced any type of interpersonal violence. It focuses on how the brain and body respond to trauma, and participants learn different techniques to feel empowered and safe. Participants learn about redirecting blame toward perpetrators, risk reduction strategies and strong boundary setting.
The second program focuses on physical and verbal defense techniques through workshops and demonstrations.
The Safety Team doesn’t host sessions in a fixed location, instead bringing workshops to where they’re needed most.
“We use community rooms; we’ve been on university campuses. We go wherever we are asked to go and can make happen,” said Christine DiBlasio, co-founder of the group and a fifth-degree black belt in Kempo jujitsu.
Sarah Johnsen contributed via Community News Service, a University of Vermont journalism internship.
Raymonda Parchment
