Local officials are asking for the public’s help in bringing awareness to end violence against women.
The sixth annual Walk A Mile in Her Shoes event is scheduled for Friday, May 18. Registration begins at 6 p.m., with the walk to begin at 7 p.m.
Officials say the event is a “playful opportunity to raise awareness in our community about the serious causes, effects and remediations to violence against women.”
As part of the walk, men are asked to wear women’s shoes, “as a sign of their commitment to a safer community.”
“We don’t force anyone to wear heels, but it’s more fun when you do,” said Cory Hamilton, a victim advocate with the Union County Prosecutor’s Victims of Crime Assistance Program.
Union County Prosecutor Dave Phillips said the walk is, “really to bring awareness to violence against women— whether sexual violence or physical violence.”
Phillips said funds raised through the walk will be given to Turning Point, an organization serving domestic violence victims and their families. Turning Point provides shelter, counseling, advocacy and general support services to survivors of domestic violence.
Phillips said Turning Point has a domestic violence shelter in Marion County and is in the process of building one in Delaware County.
He called the Delaware shelter, “a very nice facility, a needed facility.”
Commissioner Gary Lee said the new shelter is “a major improvement.”
Hamilton said Union County does not have a dedicated domestic abuse shelter and local officials refer a lot of people there.”
According to the prosecutor’s office, Turning Point directly served more than 100 Union County victims in 2017, an 80 percent increase from previous years. Additionally, Turning Point’s Teen Advocate regularly visits Union County schools to teach about healthy dating relationships, social media safety and human trafficking. These are offered at no cost to schools.
“Turning Point helps us a lot,” Hamilton said. “Victims don’t have to be staying at their shelter to utilize their services. A lot of our victims get housing assistance, legal assistance, a lot of great stuff.”
The Walk a Mile in Her Shoes is a free event in conjunction with Marysville Uptown Friday Night. The walk will begin at the pavilion in Partner’s Park in Marysville.
Hamilton said the walk will last about 20 minutes. She said it is a “leisurely stroll, adding that the route is less than a mile long.
“We still feel like we are giving you guys a bargain,” Hamilton said.
The individual who raises the most money for Turning Point Domestic Violence Shelter will win a Scott’s SNAP Lawn Care System, valued at over $200. Additionally, the largest team of men in women’s shoes will receive a gift card.
Individual and team registration and pledge forms are available at the prosecutor’s office or by emailing chamilton@co.union.oh.us.
The Union County Prosecutor’s Office Victims of Crime Assistance Program (VOCA) assists victims of all crimes throughout the criminal justice system and beyond. Over 700 victims were served in 2017- ranging from property crimes to violent offenses. The U.S. Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime provides fact sheets on a range of crime trends in the United States- details in the link below.