Kristen and Kayleigh Pace are responsible for some of the purple ribbons adorning trees and street lamps along Main Street. If the mother and daughter from Laurel Avenue can bring attention to the issue of domestic violence, they say the effort was worth it.
The two, along with other women and girls from the National Charity League, placed the purple ribbons around town for the Department of Health and Human Services to heighten awareness of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
"Domestic violence is a serious issue, and it can affect everyone in a family," Kristen Pace said. "We need to make people aware of it."
For Kayleigh, 13, an eighth-grader at Saxe Middle School, the ribbon work is an extension of what she has learned about in the classroom. "It's something we can do to make people aware," she said.
The Department of Health and Human Services will host several events this month to promote awareness of domestic violence, including the reading of a proclamation at New Canaan High School on Monday. The office has placed purple ribbons downtown for about five years.
Youth Services Director Anthony Phillips said it's important to let people that there's more to domestic violence than physical abuse. It also includes adult children withholding care from elderly parents or someone controlling their spouse's finances.
"It's a problem nationwide. It's a problem in the state," Phillips said.
The goal is to make people aware of the signs of domestic issues to break the cycle, he said, including reaching out to loved ones or contacting police. He also wants to encourage healthy relationships. "Everyone deserves to be treated with respect," he said.
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