Purple pumpkins displayed in Lexington during National Domestic Violence Awareness Month

LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Purple pumpkins will be displayed in Lexington businesses and organizations from October 4-31 to raise awareness during National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Purple is the nationally recognized color for domestic violence awareness and the pumpkins are part of a new Peace Pumpkins campaign from GreenHouse17 and the Domestic and Sexual Violence Prevention Coalition (DSVPC).

“We’ve added a card to each pumpkin that has a QR code linking to a list of local domestic violence resources and services,” said Stephanie Theakston, coordinator for the DSVPC.

The DSVPC and GreenHouse17 are also promoting Purple Thursday on October 20.

The organizations are asking individuals and organizations to wear purple on that day to visibly show support for survivors in the community.

The DSVPC is Lexington’s local coordinating council on interpersonal violence and GreenHouse17 is an advocacy agency committed to ending intimate partner abuse in families and the community.

Anyone who has been or knows someone who has been a victim or survivor of domestic violence can contact GreenHouse17’s 24-hour Crisis Hotline at 1-800-544-2022 or Lexington’s 311 to be connected to other survivor resources.