Shoes of all shapes and sizes were lined up on steps on the corner of Grand Avenue and Saginaw Street on Thursday with one mission: to spread the message about the number of people affected by domestic violence.
The display was called "Walk a Mile in These Shoes" and was put on by EVE, Inc. or End Violent Encounters. It was one of about five displays that the group has put on throughout October for Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
The display consisted of 489 pairs of women's and children's shoes to represent the number of people EVE housed within one year, said Susan Shoultz, EVE's executive director.
"Seeing all those little shoes as well as bigger shoes gives a good representation of the extent of domestic violence," she said.
EVE provides counseling, support groups and housing that is free and confidential to anyone who is a survivor of domestic violence. It has a 24-hour crisis phone line and a 30-day, 30-bed emergency shelter.
"We are trying to reach out into the community to make sure people have access to the services they need," Shoultz said.
The group also offers education programs starting as early as middle school, because that is where a lot of violent behaviors and relationships can begin, Shoultz said.
"We try to intervene early and hopefully change the direction of relationships," she said.
Holly Rosen, MSU Safe Place manager, said when domestic violence happens, most people don't even know about it.
"Domestic violence is a hidden crime, it happens behind closed doors," she said. "It's not something people talk about."
About one out of every four women will experience some sort of relationship violence, Shoultz said.
"The general population is not aware of the magnitude of domestic violence and all of the resources that are available to them for free," she said.
Anything that brings attention to an issue that is usually kept quiet, accomplishes the goal.
MSU Safe Place donated some shoes to this project, Rosen said. The shoes display gets the message across, said Nancy Bates, community development director for EVE.
"It's one thing for me to sit here and say we've helped 489 people, but that's just a number," she said. "When you really see it, that makes it real."
