Shoe display urges awareness of sexual violence
A shoe display at the Panther Valley Public Library was set up by the Victims Resource Center of Northeast Pennsylvania in the hopes of raising awareness of sexual violence in the community. AMY MILLER/TIMES NEWS
Residents who visit the Panther Valley Public Library will see a table full of shoes on display.
These shoes are part of the shoe project, put up by the Victims Resource Center of Northeast Pennsylvania, in the hopes of raising awareness of sexual violence in the community and promote April as Sexual Violence Awareness Month.
“The shoe display is a national project that has been around for many years,” said Tammy Sue Neff, counselor advocate for the center. “There are shoes with true stories of sexual assault attached. The basis for it is to educate the public not to judge people because you haven’t walked in their shoes.”
The Victims Resource Center has participated in the project for several years in hopes of showing that anyone can be a victim, no matter their gender or age.
Sexual violence, which many believe is strictly acts of unwanted sexual contact, can be a number of things, from learned attitudes and beliefs that dehumanize and objectify one gender; to sexual harassment, unwanted touching, rape, or the extremes of sexual and genital mutilation and death.
The problem is in today’s society, behaviors and attitudes and the lack of people speaking out against these behaviors are driving the notion that unwanted sexual advances are OK and are partially contributing to the number of rapes and more violent sexual abuse cases.
Neff said the Victims Resource Center is there to help these victims and urged people who know a loved one or friend has been assaulted to make that first call to the center’s 24-hour hotline.
The Victims Resource Center, which serves Luzerne, Carbon and Wyoming counties, offers free and confidential crisis and support counseling to victims of any crime, can accompany them through the legal process, go with them to the hospital for the rape exam, provide information and referrals and help them file reimbursement claims if they experience out-of-pocket costs as a result of their assault.
For more information on the Victims Resource Center, visit www.vrcnepa.org.
To seek help through the 24-hour hotline, call 610-379-0151.
The shoe display will be available for viewing at the library, located at 117 E. Bertsch St., Lansford, this Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m.; as well as Monday from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
