Saturday, October 8, 2 – 4 p.m., Episcopal Church

— from Eve Batchelder —

Safe San Juans (formerly known as Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services of the San Juans) invites you to join them in raising awareness around domestic violence next month.

To honor victims and survivors of domestic violence, Safe San Juans will host several community events that are free and open to the public. On Saturday, October 8, there will be a staged reading of an award-winning play, Carried by the Current, written by Nicola Pearson. The reading will take place at the Episcopal Church conference room in Eastsound from 2-4 p.m., with snacks and beverages provided.

Based upon true events of the late 1800s, this play tells the tale of a group of women who come together to create what may have been the first safe house for battered women in this country. In a small Texas town, the “Sanctified Sisters,” women from wealthy white families, sell eggs, butter, and cheese, and work hard to raise money as a way to stop their husbands from financially extorting them. Eventually, the women gather enough funds to move in together.

Entry is free; donations gladly accepted in support of Safe San Juans. Please call 376-5979 for more questions or information. Due to the sensitivity of the story, we recommend that families refrain from bringing children under 12 to the event.

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