Mothers and daughters encouraged to walk together to support Women’s Center of Rhode Island.
 
The First Annual “Walk to End Domestic Violence” will be held on Saturday, May 5, at 10 am, at the Rose Larisa Memorial Park on Bullocks Point Ave., East Providence. All proceeds will benefit the Women’s Center of Rhode Island, which provides safety, shelter and advocacy to victims of domestic violence. Registration begins at 9 a.m., and the walk gets underway at 10 a.m.
Registration and pledges can be completed online at www.womenscenterri.org. Walkers are asked to contribute $20 for adults and $10 for children under 18 (children under 6 walk for free).
“We’re inviting the entire community — individuals, families, businesses and organizations — to show their support for women and children suffering from domestic violence,” says Kristin Lyons, Executive Director of the Women’s Center of Rhode Island. “We especially encourage mothers and daughters to walk together in solidarity for the thousands of women and children in our state who have experienced domestic violence first hand.”
In 2011, the Women’s Center of Rhode Island sheltered 186 women and children and helped more than 1,000 clients to obtain advocacy services at the 6th District Court. They assisted 2,571 clients in obtaining Temporary Restraining Orders and provided 2,500 adults and children with education on violence prevention topics. In addition, the Women’s Center responded to 2,000 hotline calls from victims, friends, family members and concerned professionals.
Lyons notes the increasing challenge faced by the Women’s Center to continue providing the level of services required by the communities they serve. “In the past one year we have struggled to continue to provide high-quality services, and the requests for help have increased.”
For information on how you can support the Women’s Center of Rhode Island, visit www.womenscenterri.org.
The Women’s Center of Rhode Island (WCRI) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, which operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Founded in 1974, the Women’s Center of Rhode Island is a nationally recognized agency for promoting a violence-free America. It is the only center in the Providence/East Providence area serving individual women as well as mothers and their children who are victims of domestic violence. Since 1995, WCRI has received 28 prestigious awards and citations for service to the community.
The Women’s Center of RI is a member of the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence. The purpose of the Coalition and its six member agencies is to eliminate domestic violence in Rhode Island.
