Safe Passages Inc. for Battered Women will spread awareness in October—National Domestic Violence Month—of a problem that can happen anywhere to anyone.

Two thousand white ribbons will appear on trees and lamp posts throughout DeKalb beginning the week of Oct. 12, said Pam Wiseman, executive director of Safe Passages Inc.

In the past year, Safe Passages Inc. helped 96 women and children each month. Each ribbon “will symbolize one battered woman in DeKalb this year and next year,” Wiseman said.

Brochures and ribbons will be available throughout the city to encourage participation. The Lambda Chi fraternity and possibly a sorority will help Safe Passages Inc. with the project.

“Getting the community involved and helping an organization that doesn’t get a lot of funding” are reasons why Lambda Chi is volunteering, said the fraternity’s Vice President Mike Alder.

Safe Passages Inc. will be speaking to groups in town and on radio shows to promote awareness, the “most important (aspect needed) to stop the problem,” Wiseman said.

A child or woman is beaten every 15 seconds and two-thirds of all married women experience some form of domestic violence.

“It hurts everybody and is a crime, not a private family matter,” Wiseman said. “It’s happening everywhere but is still hidden.”

Safe Passages Inc. is dedicated to aiding women and children of domestic violence 24 hours a day. It provides temporary shelter, food and necessities, counseling, a crisis line and legal advocacy.

“We help them (victims) get orders of protection and let them know what rights they have under the law,” Wiseman said.

They have provided care for 7 years and have 43 programs, some shelter and some walk-in, throughout Illinois.

Safe Passsages Inc. is state-funded by the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence and also receives funding from United Way, the Attorney General Office and Victims of Crime Assistance. “We mostly receive significant community contributions and some federal money,” Wiseman said.