LAKE STEVENS — “It’s not OK to be afraid.” “Domestic violence is not gender or age specific.” “Verbal abuse is not OK.” “It’s never OK to be hit.”
Those statements and dozens more are appearing on espresso stand coffee cups in an effort to raise awareness this month about domestic violence.
Thousands of the labels, which list the phone number for help at the Lake Stevens Family Support Center, are being pasted on cups in Lake Stevens, Marysville and Everett.
Theresa Personius is owner of the Surf Shack stand in Lake Stevens and a mobile unit that serves coffee throughout the county. She has participated in the “Let’s Talk About Domestic Violence Over a Cup of Coffee” awareness program for two years.
“It’s a fabulous idea and a great way to reach people,” Personius said. “It costs nothing extra for me to get the labels on the cups. Even if just one victim of violence reaches out for help, it’s worth the extra effort.”
Kathleen Friend, director of the support center, came up with the idea for the Domestic Violence Awareness Month labels three years ago after talking with a domestic violence survivor. The woman told Friend that she would not have stayed in her relationship had she been made aware of just basic information about verbal and physical abuse.
The community center’s regular brochure printer makes the labels for free and an employee of the center donates the paper, Friend said. The number of coffee stands participating in the campaign has gone from three the first year to 16, including the coffee shop in the student store at Lake Stevens High School.
“The advanced marketing class at school thinks the stickers are a great idea and we are all behind it,” said student Chandler Wegner, 16.
A young woman working as a barista at one of the Lake Stevens coffee stands told Friend last year that because of the stickers she was taking a hard look at her own relationship.
“She told me she would not even have thought about what was happening to her if not for the stickers,” Friend said. “That’s what it’s about. We want to move people away from fear and into healthy lives.”
The Lake Stevens Family Support Center typically used to see domestic violence victims about once a quarter. In 2010, the center provided help to 50 families with domestic violence experiences.
“When the economy is bad, domestic violence incidents rise,” Friend said. “A lot of people are trying to survive and are worried about providing the bare essentials to their families. Under that stress, bad behavior emerges.”
Parents need to distance themselves and their children from violence in their homes, she said.
“We need to keep kids safe now with the hope that they stay out of the cycle of violence when they are adults,” Friend said. “We hope one day to cover the county with these labels. It’s not a solution, but it does get people talking.”
Nikki Crofutt, owner of Mimi’s Mochas espresso stand, plans to continue stamping her coffee cups with the domestic violence awareness labels as long as the program exists.
“My customers are supportive, absolutely,” Crofutt said. “It’s just a good way to help get information out.”
Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427; gfiege@heraldnet.com.
Learn more
More information about the Lake Stevens Family Support Center’s domestic violence label campaign is available at www.lakestevensfamilycenter.org or by calling 425-397-7433.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, Domestic Violence Services of Snohomish County offers free and confidential services such as emergency shelter, legal advocacy, support groups and domestic violence education.
The nonprofit agency’s 24-hour crisis hotline is 425-252-2873.
According to statistics gathered by the state Department of Health, one in five Washington women have been injured by domestic violence.
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