MEDIA RELEASE: Secretary Pate partners with Iowa laundromat owners to promote Safe at Home during Domestic Violence Awareness Month

DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate is partnering with laundromat owners across Iowa to raise awareness for Safe at Home, an address confidentiality program for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking and stalking. Pate’s office is sending Safe at Home brochures and stickers to Iowa laundromats, encouraging them to prominently display the materials. The effort is being done in conjunction with Domestic Violence Awareness Month, which began on October 1.

“As we did with hair salons across Iowa, we’re distributing this information to businesses where there’s a good chance it will get into the hands of someone who needs it,” Secretary Pate said. “Safe at Home helps victims become survivors by giving them an added layer of protection. We hear from current participants that the program has made a huge difference in their feeling of personal safety and peace of mind.”

Iowa’s Safe at Home program currently has more than 550 participants across 60 counties.

“I know that domestic violence is an epidemic in Iowa, and I understand all the barriers and difficulties when trying to leave a situation, so we want to offer any support that we can. We love the idea of partnering with the Secretary of State’s Office to help get the word out about the Safe at Home program in our laundromats,” said Jennifer Krohn, co-owner of seven laundromats in the Des Moines metro area.

Statistics show 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men have been victims of severe physical violence by an intimate partner during their lifetime. Last year in Iowa, there were more than 3,000 convictions for domestic violence and sexual assault.

Requests for complimentary Safe at Home stickers, brochures and posters to place in businesses or agencies can made by contacting SafeatHome@iowa.gov. To learn more about the Safe at Home program, visit SafeatHome.iowa.gov.

An audio clip from Secretary Pate is available for your use at this link.

An audio clip from laundromat owner Jennifer Krohn is available for your use at this link.

A photo with Secretary Pate and laundromat owner Jennifer Krohn displaying Safe at Home materials is available for your use at this link.

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