By Mark Ambrogi
Prevail of Hamilton County is hoping everyone sees purple this month.
“Our ultimate goal is to put ourselves out of business by preventing the acts of violence,” said Natasha Robinson, Prevail event and marketing coordinator. “It’s so important for the community to join together and push toward that prevention piece with us. If a person comes to our door as a victim, our goal is to move them to a survivor and then to a thriver.”
Prevail, a nonprofit based in Noblesville, is asking businesses and community partners to wear purple, the color for Domestic Violence Month (October). Prevail’s Go Purple campaign began three years ago.
Prevail, which is in its 30th anniversary year, has served more than 40,000 victims of violent crime and abuse in Hamilton County and surrounding communities.
“We want to encourage others to wear purple to help encourage victims as well,” Robinson said. “That way, they know it’s not shameful if they’ve been a victim of domestic violence. The community is standing against it. That will help encourage them to come forward and seek services. It will engage the community to stand up against acts of violence as well.”
Prevail is selling Go Purple materials such as “Stop the Violence” ribbons, bracelets, lapel pins and posters.
Robinson is doing a giveaway with a purple Verizon Wireless mophie powerstation 6000.
“We are going to give that away to the person that goes purple, shares that on Facebook and gets the most likes and shares,” she said.
Robinson said Prevail is asking community partners to pick a day to wear purple and send the picture to Prevail on social media.
Prevail staffers are wearing purple Oct. 26, the national day to wear purple.
“Each year we’ve grown,” Robinson said. “Our goal was to have 31 partners, at least one a day, and last year we had more than 31. It would be great if we had multiple pictures a day of people going purple for the entire month. It doesn’t cost them anything.”
For more, visit prevailinc.com.
