White Ribbon Campaign Proclamation Breakfast 3-29-2022

Family and Community Resources, Inc. (FCR), held its annual White Ribbon Day Celebration on March 29, 2022 at IKEA in Stoughton, MA. The White Ribbon event seeks to engage men and boys as allies in stopping the scourge of gender violence.

Store Manager Alan Corbett kicked off the breakfast by welcoming everyone to their bright and freshly designed cafeteria.

Honored guests included Lt. Governor Karyn Polito, Senator Walter Timilty, Mayor Bob Sullivan and Chief of Staff Sydne Marrow, and City Councilor Shirley Asack of Brockton. Courtney Cahill, Chief, Domestic Violence Unit, Bristol County D.A.’s Office, as well as President of Employers Against Domestic Violence, gave the keynote address focused on the costly toll of domestic violence and the need for employer advocacy and support for survivors.

The Mission of Employers Against Domestic Violence is to build collaborative partnerships to address the issues of domestic violence in the workplace.  The ultimate goal of EADV is to create more productive workplaces that are intolerant of domestic violence and are safe and supportive for victims and families.

 As Courtney reminded the crowd that “1 in 3 women (about 33%) and 1 in 7 men will be subject to sever physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime. (Center for Disease Control and Prevention). If it is in your community then it is in your workplace!” To read the full text of her key note address, click here.

Several members of the Brockton and Stoughton police departments, including Stoughton Chief Donna McNamara, area agencies, IKEA staff, and FCR staff and board members were in attendance, along with two of FCR’s Healthy Relationships Teen Peer Leaders, Fetsher Tulin and Andrew Brandao, who with Mayor Sullivan, led the White Ribbon Pledge.

In her remarks, the Lt. Governor highlighted the importance of both the Healthy Relationships and Respectfully Yours campaigns, two dating violence prevention programs funded by the state legislature that are focused on teens and led by teens. A shining moment of the event came when the overhead lights suddenly came on and Fetsher smiled and said that it was a sign of hope to all of us that if we work together, we can end gender violence.

In her closing remarks, Patricia Kelleher, CEO of Family and Community Resources, thanked everyone for attending and reiterated the importance of the pledge to never commit, excuse, or stay silent about sexual harassment, sexual assault, or domestic violence against others.

Thank you to IKEA Stoughton and all of our guests!