Three local businesses teamed up on Thursday evening for an inaugural ?620? event. The name references the date of the sale, June 20, and our area code and featured the three stores offering sales for shoppers and a giveaway basket.
But the purpose of uniting Faith and Farm, Audacious Boutique and Sophisticated Rose extended beyond a chance to get customers in the door with deals and a bit of wine, cookies and cheese. Instead, their goal was to use the event to raise awareness about domestic violence, create safe spaces and support Hope Unlimited, a local non-profit organization that advocates for survivors of family violence and sexual assault.
If one is not caught up in its cyclone of fear and intimidation, domestic violence can be easy to overlook. With the damage often carefully concealed, many have no idea what private wars their neighbors wage. Shana Forsyth, who operates Faith and Farm Designs with her husband Trent, knows this well.
?As a teacher in Iola, I?ve seen firsthand how some families suffer and how they have very strong needs that the average person might not know about. Most people don?t realize what some kids and their families are going through. Everyone is good about putting on a mask,? she remarked.
In this spirit, each store provided information on domestic violence and resources for support during the event. All three pledged to donate 10% of their sales from 620 to Hope Unlimited. By closing time, that totalled $750.
Light refreshments and special offers welcomed visitors to Sophisticated Rose.
For Kelly Sigg, owner of Audacious Boutique, 620 was all about community. ?Who else better to help than the people who support you? We?re all we?ve got.?
Sigg continued, ?We build lots of personal relationships with women, but just because we don?t know their whole story doesn?t mean they don?t have a story to tell. This is our way of saying we?re a safe and supportive place, and this may help them one day reach out to us, and I like to think we?d put a hand out to make sure they get the resources they need.?
Domestic violence covers a wide range of behaviors. There?s physical abuse, likely the most discussed and easiest to condemn. One thinks of morning talk shows broadcasting on loop a grainy surveillance video, or long sleeves and sunglasses to cover up bruises and black eyes.
But there?s far more to domestic violence than just physical abuse, Alex Gumfory of Hope Unlimited emphasized. ?Psychological abuse is just as scary for us, and it?s just as common. A lot of our work is helping survivors understand the phases of abuse, the dynamics of financial abuse and the urgent need for mental health.?
Gumfory has worked with Hope Unlimited for three and a half years, and she?s still struck by the constant need to educate both men and women about domestic violence and the resources available for help.
?I didn?t know about Hope Unlimited until I was 20. Most of my friends didn?t know about Hope Unlimited or what we do, either. It?s hard because there?s still so much stigma.?
