Take Back The Night

Wednesday, 17 September 2014 05:28

It's a night to show support and raise awareness for victims of domestic violence.

TILLSONBURG -- People will take to the streets of Tillsonburg to show their support and raise awareness for victims of domestic violence.

The annual Take Back The Night event in Oxford County rotates every year between Woodstock, Ingersoll and Tillsonburg.

This year, organizers are inviting the public to gather with them at the Clock Tower for 7:00 pm, at the corner of Broadway and Bridge Streets.

Keynote speaker Judy Miller-Rose is encouraging people to come and show their support for the victims who will be in attendance. "So people who would want to get involved and come out and show support could meet there in Tillsonburg. The women can come through the walk with us, the men can support - we need support from all and just build that awareness and work together collaboratively to make some change."

Miller-Rose, along with co-author Heather Wharram will speak to the crowd about her book 'Just When You Think It's All Over' - based on Miller-Rose's life living through domestic violence and an attempted murder in 1983. She says the reason for the book is to offer hope; offer hope to people who could be living with domestic violence and for the friends, family and professionals who are supporting those living with abuse. "It's done through an interview process by Heather Wharram and part of why that happened was because I wasn't able to write the book. I do write but I wasn't able to write the book because of the way trauma impacts the brain and the way you sequence things so Heather actually breathed life into by interviewing me and having the book flow really nicely."

Once Miller-Rose came through her life with violence, she returned to school to be educated in the field of assisting other women who were living with abuse and for the past 28 years has worked in that field and is currently employed at the London Abuse Women's Centre.

Here's a stat that was shared by Domestic Abuse Services Oxford (DASO) leading up to this week's event; in the past year they have housed 87 women and 43 children at their facility -- 127 women have utilized their sexual assault programs and services. Miller-Rose says it's important to show the victims that there is help and support available. "As much as the bringing forward the terrible things that happen to women when they're in relationships of power and control - the other piece of that is the wonderful things that can happen coming through that and if there is support and wrap around by our community."

Miller-Rose and Wharram will be speaking on Thursday night and selling copies of their book, as well as holding a book signing before and after the walk.

For more information, you can call Linda Smith at 226-378-4798.