In support of October as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Citizens Opposed to Domestic Abuse (CODA), in partnership with area sheriff’s offices, police departments, and Palmetto Electric Cooperative, announces its Purple Ribbon Campaign.
Ten sheriff’s offices and police departments in Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton and Jasper counties have signed on to place purple ribbon magnets that say “Stop Domestic Violence” on their law enforcement vehicles to demonstrate their commitment to protecting victims and holding offenders accountable. Recognizing the importance of this issue in our community, Palmetto Electric Cooperative generously provided the financial support for this campaign.
“We take domestic violence very, very seriously and are happy to participate in this awareness effort. We believe the purple ribbon magnets will help educate our citizens about the need to seek help at the first sign of abuse and to contact law enforcement when an incident occurs,” stated Beaufort County Sheriff P.J. Tanner.
“Domestic violence is a huge issue in our state. South Carolina ranks 1st in the nation for the rate of women murdered by men and there are thousands of domestic violence incidents in the Lowcountry each year. We hope the Purple Ribbon Campaign will raise awareness that it will take all of us working together to stop domestic violence in the Lowcountry,” said Kristin Dubrowski, CODA executive director.
CODA has been providing an array of services to survivors of intimate partner abuse and their children in Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton and Jasper counties for more than 27 years. In 2012, CODA provided 168 survivors and their children with emergency shelter for a total of 4,861 nights (a 49% increase from 2011). The nonprofit also answered 4,050 calls on the 24-hour hotline and provided outreach services such as counseling, case management, legal assistance and transitional housing to 486 survivors and their children. Please visit www.codalowcountry.org to learn more about domestic violence and CODA’s services.
