You Are Not Alone - English - 90 Seconds from TWG Communications on Vimeo.
No one is alone in domestic abuse that is the message the Domestic Violence Community Coordinating Committee of Nipissing (DVCCC) hopes to deliver through new campaign materials launched Monday in support of Women’s Abuse Prevention Month
DVCCC is spreading the word that domestic violence and violence against women is illegal and a cancer on our community and spreading the message that it needs to stop is everyone’s responsibility.
“Domestic violence continues for a number of reasons but we all must keep in mind together we can make a difference,” DVCCC Chair Alison Gendron tells community partners during the launch at the Discovery North Bay Museum Monday.
“Together we can create public awareness. Together we can work to move women and children from violent circumstances to a safe productive happier life. Our successes are measured by the positive stories of lives turned around - helping one client at a time. Together we can tell victims they are not alone and that we are here to help we are all involved.”
The campaign includes a public service video (above) and an information website http://freedomfromabuse.ca that lists the agencies in North Eastern Ontario that are there to help with the transition.
VCCC Chair and Executive Director of the Nipissing Transition House, Janine Lafreniere says the vision for the video was inspired by the women and children victims of abuse who need to know they are not alone. She thanked Producer/Director Ed Regan, Lead Actress Kelly Martin Boegel and TWG Communications for producing a top quality message.
Boegel says participating in the campaign had a number of meanings for her and that it didn’t take much for her to bring the emotions out to convey such a strong message.
“First of all it meant being part of a community project that was trying to get a very important message across and so to be a part of that and help bring that message out was very important to me.”
“And I have a background in social work so I guess that side of me just that helper in me wanted to very much be part of that.”
“I kind of stayed very much in my own head and conjured up my own images and again it doesn’t take much to bring out that kind or evoke that kind of emotions. Even those images that were shot from behind, I mean if you could have seen my face it was certainly very emotional … the tears you just can’t hold back as soon as you put yourself in that vulnerable position and imagine how scary it is for those women and how courageous it is for those women – it just worked.”
Lafreniere adds that abuse is an issue that has been going on forever, but for women finding their voice and removing stigma is the first step to breaking the cycle.
“It’s just providing that education awareness piece that you know it can end and that we have incredible services in the community that would help in every aspect of leaving an abusive relationship.”
“So you know we continue to provide awareness so that people understand the issue as well.”
