New campaign hops to the aid of victims
Posted on April 26, 2007
Young victims of domestic violence know where to find help in unsafe environments, thanks to a coloring book that reveals “9-1-1” as a source of help through a connect-the-dots activity.
“When the yelling starts, go to a safe place. Draw a safe place,” reads one page of the Bunny Book. “When the hitting starts get help. Connect the dots to find a helping thing,” reads another.
The Bunny Bag Campaign hopes to distribute these coloring books, crayons and stuffed bunny toys to local preschool children affected by domestic violence. Agencies and shelters will hand out these bunny bags to children accompanied by a parent seeking assistance from domestic violence.
“We hope to make whatever small difference we can,” said junior Sara Lunsford, founder of the campaign. “For these kids it’s a really scary time and I can’t imagine how horrible it must be to be 3 or 4-years-old and be going through this. But [the bunny bag] gives them something to do, tells them how to get help, and tries to comfort them in any way that we can.”
After hearing about a similar initiative by the American Bar Association that was discontinued several years ago during her internship at Blue Ridge Legal Services, Lunsford began the Bunny Bag Campaign in late March. She started by creating a group on Facebook.com to share her idea and gain support.
“I talked to some other students here around JMU and we decided to start this up and try to help out local children,” she said.
The campaign is distributing information and collecting donations in the form of crayons, gift bags, stuffed bunnies and money from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the commons throughout the week. Ari Kohen, assistant professor of justice studies, has made his office in Moody Hall, room 213 B available to drop off donations.
“We really appreciate donations because every little bit helps,” Lunsford said. “Even if it is just a very small donation, a lot of donations have been $1 or $2, that adds up.”
Senior Maria Nosal said she supports the campaign.
“I think it’s a really good idea,” she said. “A coloring book is a great way to relate to little kids.”
The initial goal of the campaign is to put together 100 bunny bags, said Lunsford. On Tuesday, the campaign had collected $362, 107 stuffed bunnies, 30 boxes of crayons and 30 gift bags.
“People have just been contributing in all kinds of ways, both in terms of time and other donations,” Lunsford said. “The response has been really positive and so it’s been really gratifying.”
Junior Alex Byland was eager to volunteer with the campaign.
“I was enthusiastic about it because I love helping kids, especially underprivileged kids,” he said.
The success of the campaign will determine if it will be renewed in the future, Lunsford said.
“We realize that a coloring book can only go so far and domestic violence is awful; child abuse is awful.” she said. “But it seems like any bit we can do is a good thing.”