The Women's Interval Home of Sarnia-Lambton (WIHSL) wants to help shine a light on domestic violence.
The nonprofit is taking part in the Shine the Light Campaign this month, an initiative launched by the London Abused Women’s Centre in 2010.
In a media release, WIHSL Marketing Coordinator Kyla Goodhand said the goal is to raise awareness on men’s violence against women by turning communities purple to stand in solidarity with abused women.
Goodhand said over the past 20 months, the number of femicides and women presenting to shelter has spiked across Ontario.
"In Sarnia, we have been at maximum capacity and above capacity much of the time," said Goodhand. "Regrettably, since December, Sarnia-Lambton has experienced four femicides, two of these women were murdered by intimate partners, one was by a family member."
WIHSL will be holding a private candlelight vigil and tree lighting ceremony, in tandem with Hiatus House of Windsor, November 1 at 5:30 p.m. in the Sarnia shelter parking lot. While the event is not open to the public, Goodhand invited residents to take part in the campaign by lighting a purple light at their homes for the month.
The Shine the Light Campaign, which has spread across Canada and beyond, is held in November to recognize National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
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