BOISE, Idaho — Throughout the month of October, purple ribbons line the windows of Faces of Hope – each one signaling someone who is affected by domestic violence.
The ribbons go up after someone donates to Faces of Hope in honor of a loved one, and that’s just one of the initiatives Faces of Hope is initiating to shed light on Domestic Violence awareness month.
“Every ribbon that we're putting up in a window is somebody who has donated in honor of somebody, or for some, just to support our cause with domestic violence,” said Paige Dinger, executive director of Faces of Hope.
One in four women, and one in seven men will experience domestic violence at some point in their lifetime, according to Faces of Hope.
“Even your local grocer might be in a domestic violence situation, or your mailman or the target worker -- it impacts all of us,” Dinger said.
Faces of Hope is a nonprofit organization with two locations – Boise and Meridian. They provide safety planning, protection orders and legal aid for those who are struggling.
So far this year, Faces of Hope has provided 418 hotel rooms and 385 legal sessions for survivors.
“For somebody to come in here is one of the most courageous acts they can ever do,” Dinger said.
Dinger said if you are struggling, Faces of Hope provides services free of cost to patients – all year round.
If you know someone who is struggling, Dinger said it is important to let your loved ones know of resources that are available – like Faces of Hope – but also to simply be a trusted friend or family member, with no judgement.
"When somebody comes to you and maybe says, I'm a victim of abuse, the number one thing that we ask people to do is to just believe," Dinger said.