Family Crisis Center hosting fundraiser, free self-defense classes for October’s Domestic Violence Awareness month
The Family Crisis Center of Catoosa, Walker, Chattooga, and Dade Counties has a couple of community events coming up in October to recognize Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
The Center, which provides shelter and support for battered women and children in the area, will host its annual “Tea & Trends” Fashion Show fundraiser and be providing free self-defense classes for men, women, and children.
“We do these events to help educate the community on how domestic violence affects our community and to also educate them on what the Family Crisis Center is and what services we provide to help victims and their children,” said Center director Kristy Lawson.
Lawson says each event has been successful in recent years, and that small events like this can do a lot to raise awareness.
“We’ve done these events for the last three years,” Lawson said. “Each year our attendance increases, which is great. Last year at our ‘Tea & Trends’ event, there were over 200 ladies in attendance, so we hope to have that or even more this year.”
The “Tea & Trends” fundraiser event will include a speaker who was at one time a domestic violence victim and will also commemorate the domestic violence victims whose lives were lost within the past year.
The “Tea & Trends” fundraiser will be held at the Walker County Civic Center at noon on Saturday, Oct. 15. The self-defense classes will be offered free to anyone at Community Baptist Church in Rock Spring from 6-8 p.m. on Oct. 4 and at the Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High School media center from 6-8 p.m. on Oct. 11.
Lawson says that like last year, the classes are being taught by instructor Larry Scott.
“Larry is awesome and volunteers his time to do these for us,” Lawson said. “He doesn’t focus on you fighting, but rather on you being aware of your surroundings and how to safely get out of a violent situation.”
For information about the events contact Kristy or Angela at 706-375-7180 or via email at aclark@fccwdcc.org.