How to Help – Get Involved – Silent Witness National Initiative Exhibit

An exhibit isn’t the only way to help. Pick one idea and start this month.

Wear it or show it ›

Purple RibbonPins, doors, trees, car antennas – a sign of courage and survival.
Light in the WindowA purple light that tells neighbors you stand with them.
Purple Hijab & Kufi DaySecond Saturday in February.

Make something ›

Shawls & ScarvesKnit, crochet, sew or weave for someone who has lost a loved one.
Clothesline ProjectShirts decorated by survivors and families, hung for all to see.

Hold an event ›

Walk a MileMen walk in women’s shoes to raise awareness.
Brides MarchWalk in white to honor those who were killed.
Empty Place at the TableA place set for each person lost, with a story card.
SAF-T DayFirst Saturday in October – sheltering animals and families together.

Remember ›

Remember My NameA poem, and a national registry of names.
Collective MourningGrieving together as a community.

Mark your calendar: February – Purple Hijab & Kufi Day (2nd Saturday). October – Domestic Violence Awareness Month and SAF-T Day (1st Saturday).

More Ways to Remember and Raise Awareness

Communities across the country use these ideas, especially during Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October. Many of them come from the Domestic Violence Awareness Project’s list of campaign ideas (dvawareness.org).

We Need Your Help

We are looking nationwide for successful domestic violence programs that actually reduce domestic violence, whether in the home, on college campuses or in the workplace. We are especially interested in:

Men’s treatment programs that have a high rate of success over time
Campus or high school dating violence programs that can show a reduction in assaults or a definite change in attitudes
Church, synagogue and other faith community intervention teams that reduce family violence
Hospital programs that reduce emergency room visits or hospital stays
Rural programs that reduce violence

If you are involved in or know of such a program, please tell us using the form below, or email silentwitnessexhibits@gmail.com. We will share what we learn so other communities can do the same. Silent Witness has looked for these “Results Projects” since the 1990s.

Help Silent Witness

Tell us about a program that works, original figures from the 1997 March, or how you could help in your state. You do not need to have an exhibit.

About you (not shown on the website)

Your name (required)

Organization, if any

Email (required)

Phone

City

State

What is working (optional)

What projects or programs are you familiar with that are showing a reduction in domestic violence murders? They can be in your community or anywhere: police or court programs, high-risk teams, shelters, faith-based programs, schools, hospitals, rural programs, programs for people who have caused harm. Please include a name, place, and a website or contact if you have one.

The 1997 March to End the Silence (optional)

On October 18, 1997, 1,496 Silent Witness figures from all 50 states were carried in the March to End the Silence in Washington, DC. For the 30th anniversary we hope to find the original figures that still exist, so they can stand again.

Some or all of our figures were carried in the 1997 March

Do you know where any of the original 1997 figures are now? Who has them, and are they in condition to be shown?

Helping in your state (optional)

Would you, or someone in your organization, be willing to help Silent Witness in your state? Check any that apply. We will get in touch before anything is decided.

Be a state coordinator: keep track of exhibits in our state, be the contact for anyone who wants to start one, share shield stories, and keep Silent Witness up to date (about 2 to 3 hours a week, more in October)

Help with the 2027 anniversary in our state (find and gather figures, plan or publicize an event)

Mentor another group starting an exhibit, or help arrange lending figures within our state