Clothesline project gives victims and families a voice...
Cleburne County Courthouse Lawn

While strolling across the courthouse lawn, or slowly driving by, one may think another Heber Springs art exhibit was on display. A clothesline of colorful t-shirts, inscribed with pictures and verses, adorned the forty something T-Shirts.

On closer inspection, however, the shirts carried intensely personal messages and unique artwork.

"Break the Silence!" - "Violence Causes Tears!" "You Stole my Heart!" All messages of unspoken pain as the result of domestic abuse. The shirts were created in a workshop held at Margie’s Haven House, the county’s only shelter for domestic abuse. The t-shirts were created by women and children affected by domestic violence.

The Clothesline Project, part of a national awareness project which began in Cape Cod, Mass., allows men and women, young adults and children, to give voice to their thoughts and feelings by decorating t-shirts for display. It also brings community awareness to one of its “unspoken” social ilk's lurking in its backyard.

"Taking part in this gives meaning to what we went through and gives the victim a voice. It is a way for victims who may still be silent to let their secret out."

For more information on the many services provided by Margie’s Haven House, please call 501-362-6757.

For many survivors, making a shirt and finally seeing their story in unison with the stories of others allows them to own their pain and express their anger.

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Margie's Haven House
501-362-6757
24 hours a day - 7 days a week!