MONTICELLO, NY — Helen Dutcher, Jailyn Flecha and Ada Laura are just a few of the many women from Sullivan and Orange County who have lost their lives due to domestic violence. In Sullivan County, 127 victims of domestic violence were reported by the police and sheriff's offices in 2020. 

According to the Center for Disease Control, every minute nationwide, 24 people will be raped, assaulted or stalked by an intimate partner. 

Domestic violence is real. And there are T-shirts hanging in the lobby of the Sullivan County Government Center to make that point.

The tees memorialize the women who have lost their lives to domestic violence—a visual 

reminder of statistics that are often ignored. Above the victim memorial is another clothesline of T-shirts designed by survivors of domestic violence honoring their struggle and experience.

The installation, “The Clothesline Project,” is curated by Fearless!, an organization that works to prevent and educate about the issues of violence against women. The project aims to increase visibility of domestic abuse toward the ultimate goal of preventing all violence against women. 

Fearless! provides free and confidential services for all victims and survivors in Sullivan and Orange counties. Services include advocacy, support, education, prevention and shelter.This includes medical and legal advocacy, prevention education programming in schools and an emergency shelter in Orange County where survivors can stay. Visit Fearlesshv.org for more information.

Awareness! volunteers at the Sullivan County government building showing the Clothesline instilation