In honor of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, LACASA is once again hosting their October Glow campaign. The county-wide initiative allows residents and businesses to purchase purple light bundles, posters, and signs in order to raise community awareness and support for survivors and victims of domestic violence.
The October campaign had a successful start in the form of the Glow Gathering at the Brighton Mill Pond. The event, described as an evening of shared voices, music, and movement, served as a community forum for raising awareness. The music of the evening was provided by Howell High School’s A Cappella choir, under the direction of Mr. Brendan Closz, as well as a performance from the Howell High School Majorettes.
Kayla Grant, LACASA’s Director of Social Change and Advocacy, also shed light on some of the nonprofit’s recent initiatives. Among these is Blueprint for Safety, for which LACASA has partnered with 911 dispatch, law enforcement, prosecution, and healing services to create a unified procedure for all systems in instances of interpersonal violence. Grant added that the four-phase process, which takes several years to complete, is well underway, with the second phase partially finished. The program is one of only a few in the state of Michigan.
LACASA was also one of the few organizations to have their new service provider training, which is designed to educate and instruct volunteers, approved by the state.
In addition, LACASA’s Youth Prevention Education Programs have returned to all Livingston County school districts, full-time and in-person. These programs are designed to educate young people on the matters of domestic violence, providing them with the necessary tools to be active bystanders, and encouraging them to speak out and use their voices as a force for community change.
“Everyone has the ability to do something about this issue. And together, our voices are so much stronger,” Grant concluded. “It’s about finding the light within you, and sharing that light with others.”
For more information on LACASA’s programs and resources, or to take part in the October Glow campaign, visit the LACASA Center website.
