‘I WILL SURVIVE’

October wears many hats, but one of its most critical services is providing awareness for domestic violence.

Initiated in 1987, Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) takes place each October to assist domestic violence advocates with supporting victims and survivors, holding abusers accountable and developing legislation to further those goals.

Nassau County’s own bastion fighting against domestic violence is Micah’s Place, a local nonprofit that opened this community’s first shelter. It continues to make positive strides for Nassau County through its resale stores Purple Dove and continuous activist efforts.

This year, Micah’s Place is taking domestic violence head on with the help of Disco Witch Brewing. The nonprofit will host an unusual — but nonetheless unforgettable — experience called “In Her Shoes” on Wednesday, Oct. 19 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the brewery on State Road 200 in Yulee.

“‘In Her Shoes’ is an immersive experience, kind of like a training, but you're doing more than sitting and listening. You take on a survivor's identity in their circumstance and then you're faced with all of these decisions to escape. It really emphasizes and highlights how difficult it is to leave a domestic violence situation,” Cassie Crosby of Micah’s Place explained.

The community engagement director, accompanied by Executive Director Heather Jones, spoke with the News-Leader this week about the impactful event developed by the Washington Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

“It's a curriculum that all sorts of different centers can use. We didn't develop it individually, but the stories and the identities are developed from different survivors and represent all different situations. None of them are the same,” Crosby said. “It answers the question that we get so much: ‘Why don't they just leave?’ If it was that easy to just leave, people would. It gives a lot of context to that as kind of like a choose your own adventure book, but for trauma from a domestic violence situation.”

Jones added that the event can accommodate 20 to 40 people and is especially fruitful for those who know either nothing at all or just a little about domestic violence.

“They want to further understand why it's so important (that) Micah's Place exists, to help people in these situations and what they really look like,” Jones said. “Unless you've been touched by it or been in it yourself, you might not really understand how you've got $50 to make it through three weeks with three kids, or all of these things that snowball and are very heavy to carry.”

Shelly Denis, owner of Disco Witch, is no stranger to passionate endeavors. Earlier this year, she moved to Nassau County from upstate New York and within months, she opened a brewery.

“Shelly previously worked at First Love (Brewing) and we'd heard about her passion project. We reached out and it just kind of worked. She was already passionate about the cause.”

Denis spoke with the News-Leader in May saying that she wants Disco Witch to be a safe place just as much as it is fun. The brewery serves as a member of the Pink Boots Society, a nonprofit organization for female brewers. Each year, Pink Boots members vote on which hops will be included in their annual blend. With a strong desire to make a beer that does good for the community, Denis struck a partnership with Micah’s Place.

Through this collaboration, they released a specially-brewed IPA called I Will Survive – a delectable concoction made by head brewer Ben McFalls and four female “beer-tenders.” Brewing since late June, I Will Survive was made available to the public in August.

“(Our menu) says that if you feel that you're experiencing either over-drinking, domestic violence, sexual assault or unsafe dating to please come and see a beer-tender,” Denis said in May. “They're going to be training our beer-tenders, too, to make sure that we have the ability to help in an appropriate way.”

Crosby is admittedly not a beer aficionado, but she did say she enjoyed the beer for being citrusy, light and tasty despite the pungent reputation of IPAs. In addition to attending “In Her Shoes,” Micah’s Place has several other ways the Nassau County community can raise awareness this month.

“We're encouraging folks to light up their pumpkins purple. We are offering little purple lights for people to put in their lanterns as like a solidarity symbol,” Crosby shared. “Then, we are doing Chalk It Up to Awareness, which is encouraging folks to go out and chalk their sidewalks by their businesses, their homes with positive messages showing survivors solidarity.”

mmahoney@fbnewsleader.com