Doors campaign brings attention to domestic violence

Getting the issue of family violence out from behind closed doors is both the metaphorical mission and literal method of a new campaign by the Stop Family Violence Coalition.

As part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the coalition began on Wednesday erecting 18 doors — like you have in your house — in public spots around the city. The freestanding doors, each decorated by local artists, are accompanied by a door mat with information on family violence in the community.

The Pikes Peak region leads the state in reports of child abuse, and the economic crisis is putting more stress on families and leading to rising levels of family violence, said Jacqueline Winston, executive director of the child abuse prevention group Safe Passage and chairwoman of the coalition.

“Our real goal is to get the word out and let people know we can no longer turn a blind eye to the problem,” Winston said.
Meredith Vaughan, president of the advertising agency Vladimir Jones, which designed the Open Doors campaign, said that when the agency asked people about family violence last year, some people literally stepped away. Placing doors at shopping centers and public spots is a way of getting the message front and center, she said, and she hopes will raise awareness of both the problem and the resources available to deal with it.

“People just don’t even want to talk about it,” Vaughan said. “We need to provide a platform and position it in a way that people couldn’t ignore it. These issues don’t have to exist behind closed doors.”

Along with the physical doors, the campaign includes a new Web site, openourdoors.org, with information and links to agencies and groups that offer support and resources on family violence.

The coalition plans to auction the doors in December, then repeat the campaign with a new set in April 2010, for Child Abuse Prevention Month.