The Daily Record/Sunday News

New billboards in York County ask: Would you recognize a victim of domestic violence?

The billboards, part of a media campaign by Access-York, show teens, an extended family and a couple.

The intent is to send a message to the community that anyone can be a victim of domestic violence, Jane Conover, managing director of the program, said in a news release.

WellSpan Health provided a grant for the billboards.

Access-York, a program of the YWCA of York, provides services to domestic violence victims. Visit www.access-york.org for more information.

Perhaps Maryland insurance companies could start giving SOMETHING BACK and pay for a few hundred billboards in Maryland, just as Wellspan Health did in New York. Think of the preventative medical costs potentially saved and the positive publicity it could generate. Or better yet, imagine saving just one life. And, in the end, you would have at least one thing to tell Jesus.

Failing that, perhaps Governor O’Malley could recommend we spend some of the VAWA STOP (Department of Justice Violence Against Women Act) federal funds – or the part of the $1.6 million allocated in our state budget earmarked for domestic violence issues. (BTW: That represents 1/200th of 1% of the state’s $31 Million dollar budget this year.)

Just a thought…

cc: Governor Martin O’Malley, Blue Cross Blue Shield

Related posts:

1. New Maryland Domestic Violence Laws Signed Today by Governor
2. Domestic Violence: Excellent Seven Part Series in Frederick Post
3. Domestic Violence is Real