Book Lovers Club to host violence awareness program
“We look forward to expanding our knowledge of the issues while engaging members and communities to unite in addressing this pervasive societal epidemic.”
The GFWC Book Lovers Study Club will host an awareness session about domestic and sexual violence at 2 p.m. on Sept. 20 at Russellville First Methodist Church.
Anyone in need of immediate help can call the SafePlace 24-hour crisis line at 256-767-6210 for immediate support.
The event is part of the 2025 GFWC International Day of Service, when 879 groups across the nation unite to spotlight domestic and sexual violence. The Russellville program will feature a session on situational awareness and selfdefense led by guest speaker Stephanie Mayfield.
She will draw on her service as a reserve officer with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department.
Mayfield teaches at Muscle Shoals High School and is retired from Russellville High School. She will help participants learn to recognize potential risk factors that could threaten safety at home, in public or at work.
She will also discuss new laws, explore scenarios that might place someone at risk, and demonstrate selfdefense techniques.
Each attendee is asked to make a $5 donation to benefit SafePlace, which provides services for victims of domestic violence and their families.
As GFWC collaborates with national networks to fight this epidemic, International President Suellen Brazil emphasized the importance of both learning and acting.
“We look forward to expanding our knowledge of the issues while engaging members and communities to unite in addressing this pervasive societal epidemic,” she said.
This year’s focus is urgent. In the United States, more than 16 million people are affected by domestic and sexual violence every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Globally, the World Health Organization estimates between 736 million and 852 million women age 15 or older have experienced domestic or sexual violence.
Types of sexual violence include rape, sexual assault, sexual abuse, sexual harassment, indecent exposure and sexual exploitation.
One important project idea is offering life skills training, which helps survivors of domestic violence lead independent lives.
Survivors need opportunities to learn money management, meal preparation, community mobility, job searching, obtaining community resources, opening a bank account and budgeting for expenses.
Too often, abusers withhold information and exert power over finances, leaving victims unprepared to live on their own.
The GFWC International Day of Service is more than a symbolic show of support. It is a global call to action — a declaration of our steadfast commitment to create real, lasting change.
This initiative challenges every GFWC group to act with urgency, compassion and strategy. By embracing the challenge, together we can expand our reach, deepen our impact and provide meaningful support to survivors and the communities we serve.
Susie Hovater Malone is a retired Russellville City Schools teacher and the president of the Franklin County Arts and Humanities Council, the group that manages the historic Roxy Theatre in downtown Russellville.
— International President Suellen Brazil
