WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAW) - Survivors of domestic violence and abuse are displaying resilience, hope and healing through the Clothesline Project during Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
The Women's Community helped local survivors create about 100 t-shirts for the meaningful display at UW-Stevens Point in Wausau. The project allows survivors to share their stories and messages through handmade shirts that hang on a clothesline.
Jessica Lind, a program coordinator for sexual assault victim services for The Women's Community, said the display serves as a powerful tool for healing.
"They hang their t-shirts on a clothesline, and they are able to physically walk away from the abuse that has occurred in their life," Lind said. "It's a very powerful display where people can put their story on shirts, talk about what happened to them, or express some type of healing."
The Clothesline Project has been ongoing since the 1990s. Lind first encountered the display on her college campus and brought it to Wausau. She hopes the exhibit resonates with the entire community and highlights the broad impact of domestic violence.
"I really wanted people to have an outlet or a way to express the abuse that they had endured," Lind said. "I walked through the Clothesline Project myself as a college student, and it was so powerful and really just, I was overcome with emotion."
The shirts vary in their messages. Some encourage and inspire, while others express a need for change. Some shirts were created by loved ones of people who were killed by domestic violence.
Lind remembers the first time she saw survivors look at their shirts and how beneficial the experience was for them.
"It was just really, really healing for people," she said.
The Women's Community's theme for October is "With Survivors, Always." Lind emphasized the organization's commitment to supporting survivors through all stages of their journey.
"We are here on their worst day, and we can be here on their best day," Lind said. "We want to remind survivors that they are strong and that they are worthy and that we are here to support them through whatever journey they may feel they need to take."
The organization wants the community to understand domestic violence's impact on both primary victims who experienced abuse themselves and secondary victims who care about loved ones who experienced abuse.
The Clothesline Project was on display Oct. 8 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at U.W. Stevens Point in Wausau. It will be on display again at North Central Technical College in Wausau on Oct. 29 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
To show support for survivors of domestic violence, people can wear purple on Thursday, Oct. 16. Purple Thursday is a national day that supports survivors. The Women's Community also has other events during Domestic Violence Awareness Month for the community.