Shelter Clothesline Project honors survivors of domestic violence

Reporter Ella Roades

NAPLES, Fla — The color pink is not the only color associated with the month of October. Purple represents domestic violence awareness this month as well.

According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, in 2020, Lee County reported 3,390 offenses of domestic violence. In the same year, Collier County reported 1,634 offenses.

Prevention Advocate at The Shelter for Abused Women & Children, Giselle Perez, said domestic violence is more common than people realize.

“These were just some of the people who were able to share their story and there’s other people who are unable to share their story but again we all more than likely know somebody,” Perez says.

At 5:30 p.m. Thursday, hundreds of people will race in a 5K at Paradise Coast Sports Complex to raise awareness for domestic violence. The shelter has other events for this month as well.

Before the race, the shelter will hang this year’s Clothesline Project. Survivors decorate or hang old shirts on a clothesline to share their stories as a survivor of domestic violence. The project originally started in Massachusetts, and now people across the country make their voices heard by displaying shirts on the clothesline.