A small core of women in Cape Cod, Massachusetts started an awareness display back in 1990 by hanging up 31 shirts on a clothesline in Hyannis, Massachusetts after learning that while 58,000 soldiers died in the Vietnam War, during the same period of time, 51,000 women were killed; mostly by men who supposedly loved them.
Since 1990, Clotheslines have been appearing in state after state (41 states so far) with an estimated 60,000 shirts displayed, and this year there were two Clotheslines in Washburn County. One outside of the Economart grocery store in Spooner, and the other in front of the Ed Elliot building in Shell Lake where staff work with the results of domestic abuse in the Health and Human Service department.
The concept of the clothesline was simple: let each woman tell her story in her own unique way, using words and artwork to decorate her shirt. Once finished, she would hang her shirt on the clothesline. This very action serves many purposes. First it acts as an educational tool for those who come to view the Clothesline; it becomes a healing tool for anyone who makes a shirt, and the act of hanging the shirt on the line can help survivors turn their backs on some of the pain of their experience and walk away. It also is a testament to those who are still in abuse situations that they are not alone.
The women chose a clothesline image from how life was years ago when not only did women hang out their wash, but they visited with their neighbor lady who was also hanging out her wash.
Brittny Olson has been working with Embrace (the new name for the Time Out Abuse Shelter) for several years and has an office in the mini mall in Shell Lake. She’s been the one to help women with safe shelter, and assists in filing restraining orders while guiding women through the court system. This is the woman who accompanies survivors to the healthcare systems and supports them through the evidence collection process along with offering a myriad of services to help women survive by giving them options.
Natalie LaPointe, a Bayfield resident and recently graduated social worker has moved to the area to become the sexual violence coordinator for Embrace.
Visits are made by Embrace to all the Washburn County schools where they speak to middle and high school girls about abuse. If there aren’t any questions when they make one of their eight to twelve week session visits, they come prepared with topics that get the conversation moving.
These are the girls who are already dealing with low self esteem and body image, and sadly some of these young women have grown up with family abusers and don’t know there is any other way to live. This is when they talk about healthy relationships and let the girls know they can also talk privately one-on-one anytime.
The internet has reared its ugly head and many of these young girls are already being targeted by school bullies; often socially or sexually, and suicide is often the end result.
Brittny recommends the new Netflix movie, Audrey and Daisy, to share the experience kids are bombarded with daily due to social media. Many girls and women don’t realize that abusers love control and use it to isolate their victims. Behaviors like controlling their finances, eliminating all transportation, discouraging job opportunities, or demanding that victims always ask permission to do anything or go anywhere are classic symptoms of a controller’s agenda. Isolation is their goal.
The often difficult part in abuse education is convincing these girls and women that they do not have to live in fear. For many, this is new territory because an abusive life is the only thing they have ever known.
It sometimes takes a friend or family member to notice the physical and emotional signs. Having the feeling that there is just something not right can be a starting point for cautiously offering help.
The Shell Lake Embrace office is usually open Monday through Friday from 8:00 am until 4:00 pm, and someone is usually available by phone. The office phone is 715-635-5245 and there is also a 24/hr hotline-800-924-0556.
If a phone call is not possible, the text number is 715-532-6976.
The Domestic Violence Awareness office, Embrace, is on Facebook.
Even though few of us hang out wash anymore while visiting with neighbors, there are people just waiting for your call or text. After all, it doesn’t cost anything to ask, or get involved. It’s all one hundred percent free and confidential.
Last Update: Oct 26, 2016 9:24 am CDT
