For: Immediate Release

Re: 2004 Clothesline Project

Contact: April Aucoin
AVAP
P.O. Box 4156
Concord, NH 03302-4156

Telephone: (603) 224-6466

Fax: (603) 224-4666

Concord – The AmeriCorps Victim Assistance Program (AVAP) announced that the Tenth Annual Clothesline Project will be held on Tuesday, April 20, 2004 from 11:00am – 5:00pm on the State House Lawn in Concord (shirts created in 2004) and April 21-23, 2004 from 9:00am – 5:00pm, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm at Colby Sawyer College in New London, NH (shirts from 1994-2004).

The NH Clothesline Project is a visual display that bears witness to domestic and sexual violence within our society. During the public displays, a clothesline is hung with t-shirts, each of which has been decorated to represent a particular person’s experience. The shirts are made by survivors of violence or by someone who cares about them.

The purpose of the Clothesline Project is to help with the healing process for people who have lost a loved one or are survivors of this violence, as well as to educate, document, and raise awareness of the extent of violence. The Clothesline Project also provides a nationwide network of support, encouragement, and information.

Also being held on April 20^th is a new display sponsored by the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence called “Stand in Our Shoes.” This display consists of up to 1,300 pairs of shoes set out on the State House Plaza to represent the number of victims/survivors of sexual assault that are assisted by crisis centers in New Hampshire each year and to spread awareness that April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

We wish to extend a special THANK YOU to the following 2004 NH Clothesline Project contributors: Colby Sawyer College, Corporation for National and Community Service, The Mountain Corps, Taylor Rental, and Vox Radio Groups.

For more information on how you can become involved, please contact the AmeriCorps Victim Assistance Program at (603) 224-6466.