KCSDV Advocacy Day 2016

State Coalition Hosts Advocacy Day at Kansas Statehouse

For Immediate Release:  Wednesday, February 10, 2016

KCSDV Media Contact:  joyceg@kcsdv.org; o: 785-232-9784, c: 785-231-8933

Topeka, KS, 2/10/2016 – Today, the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence (KCSDV), in partnership with the 29 sexual and domestic violence advocacy programs located across Kansas, is hosting an Advocacy Day at the Kansas Statehouse to increase awareness about the issues of sexual and domestic violence in Kansas and the life-saving services available statewide.  The Advocacy Day is part of KCSDV’s 13^th Annual Safe Homes, Safe Streets event.

The Advocacy Day will feature a Silent Witness Silhouette display on the 2^nd floor Statehouse Rotunda.  The Silent Witness Silhouettes are the stories of victims who lost their lives to sexual and domestic violence in Kansas.  “This will be one of the rare occasions when all Silent Witness Silhouettes will be on display together,” said Joyce Grover, KCSDV executive director.  “This is a powerful visual of the true impact of sexual and domestic violence in Kansas.”  The Kansas sexual and domestic violence advocacy programs will also have displays on the 1^st floor of the Statehouse.  A program will occur at 12:30 p.m. on the 2^nd floor Rotunda.  Speakers at the program includeJoyce Grover; Kansas Representative Barbara Ballard; Laura Patzner, Executive Director of the Family Crisis Center in Great Bend; and Kansas Senator Greg Smith. All Advocacy Day events and displays are open to the public.

Kansas sexual and domestic violence advocacy programs regularly serve more than 20,000 victims, respond to over 25,000 crisis hotline calls, and provide over 50,000 hours of crisis counseling annually.  “It is our hope that the Advocacy Day will help educate policy makers and the public about the impact of this violence in Kansas,” said Grover.

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