Kiss Domestic Violence Goodbye Campaign

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Kristoffer Kaubisch
  • Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs
MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  October is Domestic Violence Awareness month; it's also a big month for the Family Advocacy Program at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota.

One specific program the Family Advocacy Program is highlighting during this month is the "Kiss Domestic Violence Goodbye" campaign.

"We would like to honor the experience and put them on display for people to come and view," said Laurel Grams, Family Advocacy outreach program manager. "It's a different way for us to acknowledge domestic violence and how it is a negative social issue in our society that people deal with every day."

This program will show how it has impacted the victims by telling their story.

"We are hoping this program will inspire others or provide hope to other victims out there who haven't come forward and talk about their experiences," said Sherri McKittrick, Family Advocacy team member.

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary definition, domestic violence is, "the inflicting of physical injury by one family or household member on another. And in most cases, it seems as though the victim is afraid to stand up for themselves and tell someone about it.

"More often, by the time people are willing to talk about their experiences, they've been referred for services; they've received help in some way, shape or form," Grams said. "They are able to talk about what is going on."

Family Advocacy wants to hear about your domestic violence experience. Share your story through an anonymous letter, story, poem, drawing or any other medium of expression.

If you would like to submit your experience or story, you can drop it off, in a sealed envelope, in the purple box in the Mental Health Clinic waiting room. You can also mail in your story to:

ยท Attn: Family Advocacy Outreach Manager
194 Missile Ave., Minot, ND 58705

All submissions will be honored and displayed in the breezeway between the Commissary and Base Exchange. Let you story serve as a symbol of strength and hope for others.

Deadline for all submissions is October 1st, 2015.

For more information, you can contact the Family Advocacy Program at 701-723-5096.