One in four women have experienced a physically abusive romantic relationship in their lifetime, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Over 20,000 calls are made each day to domestic violence hotlines across the country. Oct. 1 marks the beginning of domestic violence awareness month.

In order to raise awareness for the cause, Isabelle Sistino ‘19 is organizing a fashion show at LT on Oct. 15 at 2 pm in the Reber Center. Tickets will cost $10 for students and $25 for adults. The show’s main goal is to raise $5,500 for Pillars’ Constance Morris House, a local domestic violence shelter, Sistino said.

“It’s really for a great cause,” she said. “You know where the money is going and you know what the impact is. It’s helping people out in our community, maybe even people that we know.”

The clothes showcased during the show will be provided by the Hope Chest in LaGrange, a nonprofit upscale resale shop that benefits the Constance Morris House. Clothing is donated and then resold by the store to raise money to fund many of the House’s programs, Hope Chest Shop Manager Sally Kurfirst said.

With the money raised at the Hope Chest, The Constance Morris House, an 18-bed shelter, is able to provide a temporary emergency shelter for women and their children who are trying to escape an abusive relationship, Kurfirst said. Meals and services such as counseling, legal advocacy and career aid are offered to the victims of domestic violence.

“Through the fashion show, we hope to raise awareness of domestic violence issues as well as our profile in the community to encourage support through donating merchandise and shopping for a great cause,” Kufirst said. “We’ve always wanted to encourage LT students and teachers to shop here since we get in lots of things that would appeal to them.”

LT is completely involved in the fashion show, Sistino said. The models in the fashion show will consist of LT students, alumni and teachers. Many students involved in student council, WLTL and theatre board, as well as fashion/interior design and digital photo classes will help with several aspects of the show.

The outfits will be selected by volunteers and board members at the Hope Chest, Kurfirst said. The store carries many different types of clothing for their large customer base, including teenagers, high school students, single moms, senior citizens and many others on a fixed income.

“We’ll just try to put together some fun, unique outfits and show people how you can really have a great wardrobe on a budget, and support a good cause,” Kurfirst said.

The Hope Chest is hoping to get lots of LT students, mothers and community members to attend the event, Kurfirst said. This is the first year the Hope Chest is organizing a fashion show at LT. It will be their biggest event so far.

“I know it’s going to be great,” Kurfirst said. “I have the utmost confidence that LT is offering its full support and we are very grateful that they are willing to let us do this. I know that LT students and faculty are really strong supporters of efforts to benefit the community and I anticipate this will be a great community event.”

Click here for more information about domestic violence.