Perhaps you’ve noticed us standing at the corner of the courthouse lawn every Friday from noon until 1. Ten to 15 to 20 guys with a couple of banners and a couple of signs. We are the Stand Up Men and are united in supporting efforts to end domestic violence in our island communities. As such, we are part of an entity called SAFE San Juans.

This month we are beginning a fundraising campaign that we think will have a positive effect on the islands for years to come. Our goal is to raise $45,000 to support sexual assault and domestic violence prevention education for our kids, their teachers and their parents. The goal behind this program is that students and adults will learn how to detect and correct unhealthy relationships and how to create and maintain healthy ones.

Is there a need for such a program? Don’t we live in paradise with few of the problems associated with the big cities? One interesting statistic is that our San Juan County Sheriff’s Office reports domestic violence accounts for more than half of all the calls they receive. More than half! And nationwide statistics say that one out of three women and one out of six men will experience domestic violence in their lifetimes.

What can you do to help? Perhaps you could consider donating to help raise the $45,000 needed for this educational project. The Stand Up Men will be canvassing the business community, and we want to encourage individuals to check out the SAFE San Juan website. At the website, you’ll be able to see what SAFE San Juans is all about and to find out more about Stand Up Men. And there are some cute yellow buttons there just in case you may care to make a donation.

Thank you for your consideration.

Jim Vedder

Stand Up Men