Keeping women safe at work in the face of domestic violence is an admirable goal for soroptimists, but first victims, supporters and employers have to be aware of what domestic violence is and what resources are available to help fight it. Soroptimist International Bellevue Metropolitan (SIBM) is tackling that problem.

As part of October’s Domestic Violence Awareness Month efforts, the club decided to help the Redmond community participate in Purple Lights Night, a worldwide effort to bring attention to the devastation of domestic violence. The campaign encourages cities and storefronts to display purple lights as a way to bring attention to the issue. In order to help spread the word, SIBM set aside a budget to create and distribute special boxes with purple twinkle lights, information about recognizing abuse, safety planning and resources for victims. A special hand-out for employers and their responsibilities and legal requirements rounded out the 14-foot x 14-inch x 4-inch boxes.

Members identified one block of a busy street in Redmond, contacted the merchants to explain the project, and followed up with emails and phone calls. The overwhelming response of the stores was positive and excited to participate in the domestic violence awareness project. Boxes were distributed on Sept, 29, at no charge. Plans call for members to pick up the boxes and lights after Oct. 31, when they will also do a survey of the merchants to evaluate the success of the project.

Heather Stark

Woodinville