Wear purple to support domestic violence survivors on #PurpleThursdayICT

Harbor House with Catholic Charities is reminding people to wear purple these last two Thursdays of October to raise domestic violence awareness during its campaign, #PurpleThursdayICT.

“It shows survivors in the community that we stand with them, that we support them and that we’re here to offer our help,” Keri McGregor with Harbor House said during Wednesday’s police briefing. “We have clients in shelter now ... when they see people in the community wearing purple they think, ‘Wow, that’s because of me. That’s because they care. That’s because they hear what we’re going through and they care about it.”

McGregor also encourages people to use the #DVfreeICT hashtag to help eliminate the stigmas associated with domestic violence.

“We feel as a community if we can do that together we’ll reach far more people and save lives, and that’s the goal always,” she said.

The Wichita Family Crisis Center will be hosting a Community Engagement and Survivor Art Event for Domestic Violence Awareness Month from 6 to 9 p.m. Oct. 27 at 413 S. Commerce. Survivor art and poetry will be displayed.

Laddy the Labrador with Wichita Police Department’s victims assistant unit attended the briefing while wearing a purple bow to also raise awareness for domestic violence. Laddy acts as a calming presence – free of charge from beginning to end – to those coping with criminal acts.

Both Catholic Charities’ Harbor House and the Wichita Family Crisis Center have a 24-hour crisis line for those who need help: Harbor House, 316-263-6000 and Wichita Family Crisis Center: 316-267-SAFE (7233).

This story was originally published October 18, 2017 at 4:10 PM with the headline "Wear purple to support domestic violence survivors on #PurpleThursdayICT."