Page 57 - November 2019 FOP

Citizens march with 002 officers to raise awareness for domestic violence
n BY ERIKA WURST
Every month, 2nd District Domestic Violence Liaison Stephanie Arroyo sees the same names on the same case re- ports coming across her desk.
They are names of abuse victims who, despite being offered help, refuse assis- tance and become victimized again and again. It can be a frustrating scenario, and one that Arroyo is trying her hardest to change.
“If I can reach one of those people, it’s a good feeling for me,” she said. “After so many ‘noes,’ I want to have someone say ‘yes’.”
Which is why during Domestic Vio- lence Awareness Month in October, Ar- royo made a giant push to see that those words are spoken more frequently. On Oct. 12, more than 100 people marched down King Drive to raise awareness of domestic violence in not only the Second District, but around the city of Chicago.
Marchers included local clergy, do- mestic violence subcommittee members and advocates for change. Information
on victim resources was available, as was a group of friendly faces seeking to support those ready to leave violent sit- uations.
“Many times, even though we reach out to victims and offer them services, a lot of them don’t take advantage of that,” Arroyo said. “If we have people marching saying, ‘Speak up!’ it’s good for them to hear. It might be the push they need.”
Arroyo’s hope is that even if the infor- mation didn’t end up in the hands of a victim, it landed in the hands of some- one willing to help a friend or family member stuck in a bad relationship. The goal is to educate those in need about services available, such as housing, rent- al assistance, court protection and a vast number of often-glossed-over accom- modations.
As February and April roll around, Child Abuse Awareness and Teen Dat- ing Abuse Awareness months, respec- tively, aim to raise issues that fall under the domestic violence umbrella. These sometimes-overlooked issues are just as important to combat, Arroyo said.
Teaching teens about domestic and dating violence in high school can often prevent them from becoming victims later in life, letting them know what to look out for before it happens.
For Arroyo, the Domestic Violence March was a powerful way to raise awareness and let victims know they are supported, cared about and loved. In its first year, she hopes to continue the march as a tradition in the future. Even- tually, she said, the number of “noes” she receives will wane, and more people will speak up for much-needed help.
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How sweet it is
Amid a challenging time for police officers five years ago, Cookies for Cops set out to go beyond random acts of kind- ness toward law enforcement by flooding departments across the country with cookies.
The impact in Chicago was something to behold as a ded- icated group of Cookies for Cops families traveled from the Cincinnati-northern Kentucky area to deliver a cookie thank- you to every CPD officer (and Chicago Fire Department per- sonnel). That’s 21,000 cookies, according to organizers.
Needless to say, the sweet kindness was well-received by officers who wore smiles — and crumbs — thanks to the mas- sive delivery of cookies.
CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ NOVEMBER 2019 57