Teal Ribbon Project Strives to Heal

Teal Ribbon Project Strives to Heal

By Romayne Turner

On April 14, the YWCA of Greater Harrisburg hosted an event that focused on a problem which society can no longer ignore. Sexual Assault Services presented “The Teal Ribbon Project Program,” a program designed to celebrate survivors of sexual abuse. While there are many different colored ribbons worn to increase awareness of issues such as AIDS, violence, or missing children, the teal ribbon represents sexual abuse.

The program brought together many survivors who are on the path to healing by breaking the silence of their shame and pain through poetry, music, painting, sculpture, and mixed media. The message that rang clear throughout this evening was that women are choosing to break the cycle of abuse. They are speaking out about their personal healing journeys to help other women and children who need hope, support, and strength in believing that it is possible to lift themselves out of the abuse cycle and begin to heal.

Jade Banks, author of Cycle of Abuse The program was held at the new Sylvan Heights Center which is the renovated mansion on Allison Hill. As you drove up the hill you could see white T-shirts strung out on a clothesline blowing in the wind across the front of the mansion. Each T-shirt represented a child who had received services from the YWCA’s Violence Prevention program because they had been sexually assaulted. Unfortunately none of those children were present to witness and feel the spirit of celebration that evening but the room was full of healing energy.

The oil paintings and sculptures displayed by the featured artist, Kim Myers, showed women (a medicine woman dancing; a woman crying) going through the healing process after abuse. In speaking with Kim, she reported that she utilizes natural materials for her sculptures and uses her art as a way to visually expose her inner feelings. She hopes that in sharing her art she will help another. The musical selections, “Amazing Grace” and “When You Walk Through the Storm,” sung by Minister Olin Harris accompanied by Oscar Porter, were glorious, inspiring, hopeful, and full of greatness. The poetry readings by Tammy Hitchcock, Sharron Ellyee, and Jade Banks were full of similar messages. They told of the struggle to lift themselves up out of the cycle of abuse, the courage they found through self discovery, and the strength they found in reaching out into the community.

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