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"Stop Family Violence" Fundraising Stamp Now on Sale
Posted on: 10/13/
WASHINGTON -- A heart-wrenching image of a distraught woman drawn by a child artist is the focal point of the new U.S. postage stamp to raise funds for domestic violence programs and increase awareness about this important social issue. The "Stop Family Violence" semipostal stamp is now available at all U.S. Post Offices.
A dedication ceremony was held on Oct. 11, in Denver. The Postal Service has printed 125 million Stop Family Violence stamps.
"The Stop Family Violence stamp allows every American to contribute to a nationwide effort to end domestic violence," said Donna Peak, controller and vice president of finance for the Postal Service, who will dedicate the stamp. "By using this stamp on their cards and letters, our customers will help bring before the public eye a problem that is too often ignored."
Joining Peak at the ceremony were Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-Colo.); Rita Smith, executive director of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence; and Ellis Burgoyne, district manager of the Colorado/Wyoming District of the U.S. Postal Service.
The price of the self-adhesive, non-denominated stamp is 45 cents. As a semipostal, it is valid for postage at the first-class one-ounce letter rate in effect at the time of purchase, with the difference between the sales price and actual postage consisting of a tax-deductible contribution.
Funds raised in connection with sales of the stamp -- less the Postal Service's reasonable costs -- will be transferred to the Department of Health and Human Services in accordance with the Stamp Out Domestic Violence Act of , passed by the 107th Congress and signed into law by President Bush on Nov. 12, .
The stamp's striking design and the circumstances that led to its use are rather unusual. Art director Carl T. Herrman selected Monique Blais, a six- year-old girl from Santa Barbara, Calif., to model for the stamp design. The intention was to photograph Blais erasing a domestic violence image -- implying eradication of the issue. At one point during a break in the photo session, and without prompting, Blais began drawing her own picture of what she thought best represented domestic violence. Photographed by Philip Channing, Blais' drawing became the basis for the final Stop Family Violence design.
The Stop Family Violence stamp is available at all post offices, by toll-free phone order at (800) STAMP-24 and online at the Postal Store (www.usps.com/shop).
Domestic violence statistics:
* Nearly one-third of American women report physical or sexual abuse
by a husband or boyfriend at some point in their lives. In
more than half a million American women were victims of non-fatal
violence committed by an intimate partner. On average, more than
three women are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends in this
country every day. In , some 1,247 women in the United States
were killed by an intimate partner.
* Pregnant and recently pregnant women are more likely to be victims
of homicide than to die of any other cause, and evidence exists that
a significant proportion of all female homicide victims are killed
by their intimate partners.
* Studies suggest that 3-10 million children witness some form of
domestic violence annually. A study found that slightly more
than half of female victims of intimate violence live in households
with children under age 12. Children who witness domestic violence
are more likely to exhibit behavioral and physical health problems
including depression, anxiety and violence toward peers. They are
also more likely to attempt suicide, abuse drugs and alcohol, run
away from home, engage in teenage prostitution and commit sexual
assault crimes.
* The U.S. Advisory Board on Child Abuse suggests that domestic
violence may be the single major precursor to child abuse and
neglect fatalities in this country.
* In a national survey of more than 6,000 American families, 50
percent of the men who frequently assaulted their wives also
frequently abused their children.
Source: Family Violence Prevention Fund and the U.S. Postal Service
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