The Athabasca and Area Prevention of Relationship Abuse Action Committee (PRAAC) is once again illuminating Family Violence Awareness Month with candles spread throughout Athabasca.
The Shedding Light on Family Violence campaign highlights the stories of victims of abuse by placing stories on large wooden candles spread through high-traffic areas in town. The campaign includes six candles and runs Nov. 12-30.
PRAAC’s Tamara Yurchak said the campaign aims to improve awareness of family violence by catching people’s attention.
“It’s a piece that catches awareness. Someone’s going to stop, take a look at it,” she said. “We want people to take a minute and read all of them.”
The stories on each candle come from the Silent Witness Project, a national initiative that puts the spotlight on victims of family violence.
The storytellers are identified only by their first name. Each story is a detailed account of relationship abuse.
“I married an abusive man with a severe drinking problem,” reads Lena’s story, posted on a candle at Buy-Low Foods in Athabasca. “When he would drink he would become particularly abusive.”
The candles also include a PRAAC brochure, which includes information on local resources for those struggling with family violence. This includes the THRIVE program, which provides confidential support to individuals affected by relationship abuse throughout Athabasca and area.
“Our outreach mentors will work with the client wherever they need,” Yurchak said, adding that help includes information and education on different forms of abuse as well as designing safety plans clients.
She also said the wooden candle campaign is an evolution from a more traditional candlelight vigil. PRAAC held those several years ago for Family Violence Awareness Month, but changed the event in an attempt to reach more people in the community.
“We just found we weren’t getting the attendance so we wanted to bring a candlelight vigil out to the community,” she said. “We feel we’re getting way more impressions.”
The six candles made by the group are located at Buy-Low Foods, the Athabasca Regional Multiplex, the Alice B. Donahue Library & Archives, Value Drug Mart, Athabasca Community Health Services and Edwin Parr Composite School.
The problem of family abuse exists everywhere, Yurchak said.
“We tell everybody. Relationship abuse happens in every community. It’s not just a big city thing,” she said.
