Community makes journals for shelter

By CHARITY SMITH

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Ironwood - Sexual assault awareness was the focus of a presentation by Downtown Art Place artists Katie Rose and Tracy Truesdell as part of Ironwood's First Friday at the Incredible Bank Friday evening. April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

The people who came helped create journals to be given to the local Domestic Violence Escape shelter. Some inscribed them with messages of hope.

Rose and Truesdell guided others in decorating the journal covers with gelli prints using an assortment of faux leaves.

To make the gelatin prints participants placed printer's ink on a circular plate filled with gelatin and then arranged faux leaves on the plate and placed a sheet of paper over them. By pressing the paper down over the leaves the impression was made onto the paper. The leaf prints were then cut out and placed on the cover of the handmade journals.

Eleanor Bolich, a sexual assault case manager with DOVE, along with Michigan State Police troopers were on hand for the event, manning the booth and asking the community to write in the journals. Bolich said that they had a goal of gathering at least 30 journals to be included in care packages for survivors.

"It was heartwarming to see community support for survivors of sexual assault," said Bolich. "Being a sexual assault or abuse survivor can be a very lonely road to walk and public showings of support can make a world of difference."

The event was the kick off for the care package donation drive, DOVE is holding this month in conjunction with the MSP-Wakefield Post. The packages will also include self care items such as adult coloring books, herbal teas, soaps, candles, men's and women's clothing and toiletries. Donations for the packages are being collected throughout the month of April. Donations can be brought to the Incredible Bank or the MSP-Wakefield Post.

Other DAP artists were showing their specific artistry at various businesses downtown as part of the First Friday events.