Awareness in the Workplace

THOSE ASTOUNDING MOMENTS…

When you realize what you’re doing is important.

Last month for October’s Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM), I wanted to make sure everyone in my law firm knew about my platform and the importance of this month.  DVAM has a tendency to be overlooked due to the other admirable and important causes that are illuminated this month, such as Breast Cancer Awareness and Anti-Bullying Awareness.

As a new member of the staff at Modjarrad & Abusaad Law firm, I was just beginning my endeavor of letting people know about my pageant life and platform, and I felt this month was the perfect opportunity to share with them why exactly I am so involved in the Miss Texas Organization.  Many of my coworkers bring in snacks and baked goods (not so great for my pageant diet) to share so I figured this was a great way to assimilate in the firm while spreading awareness.

Thus, I bought purple cookies to signify the month, put them in little bags, left them on each desk in the office and sent out the following email:

Hello everyone!  I have put a purple cookie on all of your desks, and yes, I am wearing purple also.  It is intentional and here is why:

OCTOBER IS PURPLE MONTH:

Everyone knows that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but not everyone knows that it is also Domestic Violence Awareness Month.  Still, domestic violence is a major issue that plagues every community.

One in four women (25%) has experienced domestic violence in her lifetime.  3.5 million children in America every year experience abuse in their homes, either as victims or witnesses.  My platform as Miss Tarrant County is L.O.V.E.: Learning to Overcome Violent Environments, which is focused on raising awareness and support for former victims and witnesses of domestic violence as they try to remake their lives after their traumatic experiences.

Most people do not know that this month is Domestic Violence Awareness Month because domestic violence has historically been thought of as a private, family matter.  This month is dedicated to raising awareness and concern in communities to reach out and support the fight against domestic violence.

That is why I got you purple cookies.  Please keep this in mind this month and enjoy the cookie!

The responses I got were overwhelming, and quite frankly, reminded me how important it is to constantly be spreading awareness about domestic violence, even if it’s through small actions or a short email.

I not only received emails in massive support of this cause, but also received emails from a few coworkers, women AND men, telling me about their experiences throughout their lives dealing with domestic violence and thanking me for adopting this cause as my passion.  It made me realize how important it is to support one another.  We share these horrible experiences, and it is so difficult for those who have not endured domestic violence to understand the bond we have with other survivors.

Even in my firm in Richardson, there are several of us who have been impacted directly by domestic violence.  How many in your workplace have had to live through these experiences?  Domestic violence is not an issue that plagues one class, race, or religion.  Any friend, family member, neighbor, or coworker may have had to live through domestic violence or may be living through it right now.

“If the numbers we see in domestic violence were applied to terrorism or gang violence, the entire country would be up in arms, and it would be the lead story on the news every night.” - Mark Green