Get up, heal and live!!

2017 Clothesline Project on The Green Continues to Raise Awareness

Twenty-four years-ago a project began that brought to light a grim part of reality that needed to be seen – violence against women, men and children. Survivors took a bold step to say ‘no more’ by personally creating shirts as an avenue to break the silence and promote healing for them and their loved ones.

On September 13, 2017 healingSPACE (Support, Prevention, Advocacy, Counseling, Empowerment) - Bergen County’s only Sexual Violence Resource Center- hosted its annual Clothesline Project on the Green in Hackensack across from the Bergen County Courthouse to continue raising community awareness of violence and sexual abuse. The project is a show of force that expresses to survivors that they are not fighting alone. From 10:00 am to 5:00 pm the Clothesline Project featured a sea of t-shirts created by survivors and/or their loved ones of varying offenses - sexual violence, domestic violence, child abuse, and even death. Phrases such as “Hug Em, Don’t Slug Em”, “Trying to Break Free”, “No to Violence” and a breath-taking collection of more expressions waved on clothes lines strung through the park sending a clear message: stop the violence!

  

The free event which was sponsored by a number of organizations such as Suez, Bergen Community College Violence Intervention Prevention Center, Rainbow Café,  Women’s Rights Information Center and many more,  gave visitors a chance to pledge their support for the community’s anti-violence efforts. For more information on this and other area projects, visit https://www.ywcabergencounty.org/healingspace or call (201) 487-2227.

Don’t stay silent or suffer alone, get up, heal and live!!