Clothesline Project Honors Victims, Calls for Action

By Journalist Dr. Ms. Jones

GOSHEN – Hundreds of shirts bearing messages of pain, survival, remembrance, and hope transformed the grounds of the Orange County Government Center into a powerful tribute on Friday, October 2nd, as Fearless! Hudson Valley held its annual Clothesline Project and press conference to kick off Domestic Violence Awareness Month in Orange County.

Survivors, advocates, law enforcement officials, elected representatives, and community members gathered to honor victims of domestic violence, support survivors, and call for stronger protections and sustainable funding for victim services.
The Clothesline Project uses shirts created by survivors, relatives, and community members to share experiences that often remain hidden. Some contain handwritten messages, while others display photographs, personal mementos, and the names of women whose lives were taken by violence. Fearless! Hudson Valley Executive Director Kellyann Kostyal-Larrier said Fearless! now has more than 700 shirts and that the Goshen display is the only location in Orange County where the organization can put out all of them. The project has been part of Fearless! Hudson Valley’s awareness efforts for more than two decades.

“Sometimes we don’t need to say anything because the shirts say it all,” said Executive Director Kostyal-Larrier, explaining that the project grew from a tradition of women sharing experiences over clotheslines. “It feels really important that we don’t look away. If we look away and don’t see the discomfort, then we can’t make change.”

Among the shirts displayed was one honoring Tanya “Boo” Smith, a Newburgh woman whose death in 2017 was covered by the Hudson Valley Press. Hundreds gathered to celebrate her life at her homegoing service that October, remembering her kindness, faith, and love for others. Nearly nine years later, Smith’s shirt now hangs among those of other victims and survivors, ensuring that her name and story continue to be remembered.

Fearless! Hudson Valley Community Education Advocate Shaun Gills explained that the shirts are created by victims, survivors, and their loved ones. Community Education Advocate Gills said new shirts are continually accepted, while older shirts are preserved and cataloged.

“The whole idea is that it’s there for you to see,” Community Education Advocate Gills explained. “Sometimes we don’t talk about it, and sometimes we don’t realize how you know someone who’s affected… One in four women and one in six men are affected by domestic abuse. So, chances are somebody you know is either a domestic abuse victim or is affected by it—as a child, a parent.”

Orange County Sheriff Paul Arteta delivered a sobering message about the local impact of intimate partner violence. Sheriff Arteta stated that close to 40 women in Orange County have died as a result of intimate partner violence since September 2004, while another woman remains missing. “These are not just statistics on a report; they are lives cut short, families shattered, and futures stolen,” Sheriff Arteta said. “Domestic violence has no place in Orange County. It does not discriminate by age, race, or status. It is a crime that thrives in silence.”

Town of Crawford Police Chief Dominick Blasko, president of the Police Chiefs’ Association of Orange County and first vice president of the Mid-Hudson Chiefs of Police Association, also addressed attendees. Chief Blasko, an Orange County Police Academy instructor with a history of supporting domestic violence training and Safe Homes/Fearless! initiatives, praised survivors and the organization’s partnership with law enforcement.

“Today we recognize these survivors of domestic violence, and we want to thank them because the other 364 days of the year they inspire law enforcement to do our job, for us to focus on the abusers and support the victim,” Chief Blasko said. “The work that Fearless! does for us is outstanding.”

New York State Senator Rob Rolison, a retired police officer, reflected on the importance of victim services and the need to restore funding. Senator Rolison said he worked with legislative colleagues to recover much of the funding that had been reduced.

“I saw a piece behind me that says the sun will shine again,” Senator Rolison said. “Well, the sun will not shine again as quickly as we want it to if it wasn’t for all of you… What victim services do in so many ways helps people reclaim their lives that are taken away sometimes in a second or over a period of time when you’re in an abusive relationship.”

New York State Assemblyman Jonathan Jacobson emphasized that domestic violence crosses socioeconomic boundaries and requires a coordinated response. “Violence, domestic violence, sexual assault is not limited to any one segment of our society. It’s not limited by income. It’s not limited by education. It affects all of us,” Assemblyman Jacobson said.
Assemblyman Jacobson also called for improvements in how state funding reaches established victim-service organizations. New York State Assemblyman Brian Maher praised the collaboration among law enforcement, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies.

“This clothesline represents not just the individuals who are written on it and the stories that are told, but as the senator said, it’s for those that we don’t hear about. The symbolism of that should always be a motivating factor for all of us,” Assemblyman Maher said, stressing the importance of remembering victims whose experiences remain unheard.

Assemblyman Maher also urged improvements to funding procedures so organizations performing lifesaving work are not hindered by unnecessary bureaucracy. New York State Assemblyman Chris Eachus recalled his family’s connection to domestic violence advocacy when his wife volunteered with Safe Homes approximately 30 years ago. Assemblyman Eachus encouraged residents to become involved and support organizations providing critical assistance.

“We need more volunteers, lots more volunteers to help Fearless! do their job,” Assemblyman Eachus said. “They do a wonderful job, but they need help, not just from us as elected, but from the public in the terms of volunteering to do this.”
Orange County Executive Steven M. Neuhaus challenged state officials to establish permanent funding for victim services rather than requiring organizations to repeatedly seek financial assistance. County Executive Neuhaus said the county is financing housing for at least nine single mothers who need protection from their abusers.

“I’d like to have a commitment from the assembly members and senators, both parties. Let’s make a commitment to make this permanent funding and restore the cuts that were made to Fearless!” County Executive Neuhaus said. “We constantly have to fill this gap in when it’s cut from Albany. So, let’s really do what we need to do here, and let’s have every part of government really pony up… They shouldn’t have to beg for money every year… Let’s do it. This should be non-negotiable. It should be easy. It should be automatic.”

Executive Director Kostyal-Larrier revealed that Fearless! initially faced a 30% funding reduction of nearly $465,000. Although additional state assistance reduced the shortfall, she said the organization still faces a deficit of approximately $165,000 compared with its 2022 funding level. Meanwhile, hotline calls have increased 19 percent this year and 30 percent over the past five years. “Public safety is not a cupcake sale. Public safety is not a 5K. Public safety is not fundraising,” Executive Director Kostyal-Larrier declared. “What we do is save lives.”

Executive Director Kostyal-Larrier also highlighted Orange County’s participation in the state’s STRIVE initiative, which brings Fearless! together with law enforcement, probation officials, prosecutors, and municipalities to strengthen responses to high-risk domestic violence cases. She reported that Fearless! answered approximately 12,000 hotline calls last year and assisted more than 6,500 victims, survivors, and family members throughout Orange and Sullivan counties. Its services include emergency shelter, crisis counseling, legal advocacy, sexual assault assistance, and prevention education.

The Clothesline Project has traveled through Monticello, Goshen, and Port Jervis, with additional displays scheduled for October 12 at the Galleria at Crystal Run in Middletown and October 14 at Cornerstone Healthcare in Newburgh, both from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Other activities include the In Her Shoes workshop October 9, Purple Thursday October 15, and the ninth annual We Can Be Heroes 5K Run/Walk and Kids Fun Run October 25 at Orange County Airport.

Anyone experiencing domestic violence can contact Fearless! Hudson Valley’s confidential, 24-hour hotline at 845-562-5340.

Journalist Ms. Jones