Limited-Edition Mini Terrace Chair to Support Student Survivors of Dating Violence
A new mini Terrace chair is coming to some Wisconsin Union stores and the Union’s online storefront. Starting Oct. 1, while supplies last, in partnership with University Health Services (UHS), a limited-edition, mini Terrace chair will be available for purchase to help support University of Wisconsin–Madison student survivors of sexual assault, dating and domestic violence, sexual harassment, sexual exploitation, and stalking.
A portion of every chair purchase will be donated to the Survivor Empowerment Fund, which provides financial assistance for expenses directly related to a survivor’s victimization
“A lot of the support that we provide is emotional in nature, and this gives us a real financial ability to help right when a student needs it and often when they need it most,” said Molly Caradonna, Psy.D., Director of UHS Survivor Services. “This fund removes some of those barriers so that students can focus on their safety, on their healing and continue to build the futures that they came to UW–Madison to pursue.”
UHS Survivor Services offers free, nonjudgemental support to UW-Madison student survivors including advocacy, mental health support, and medical care. Students can access confidential care through MyUHS.
For the Survivor Services team, ensuring each survivor is aware of their options and feels supported in making decisions is an important part of the team’s role.
“Our job is to help students understand what all of their options are and then empower them to make the choice that is right for them,” said Molly Caradonna, Psy.D., Director of UHS Survivor Services. “It’s important for students to know that there is no one right path for any survivor.”
The teams chose purple for the chair, because purple is the nationally recognized color associated with domestic violence awareness and represents courage, peace and a dedication to ending violence.
“A lot of the support that we provide is emotional in nature, and this gives us a real financial ability to help right when a student needs it and often when they need it most,” Caradonna said. “This fund removes some of those barriers so that students can focus on their safety, on their healing and continue to build the futures that they came to UW–Madison to pursue.”
The chair will be available for purchase starting Oct. 1, which also marks the start of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. For the Survivor Services team, supporting survivors is a year-round effort and a campus-wide responsibility.
“Supporting survivors is not up to just one office, one program, one department,” Caradonna said. “All of us are responsible for supporting the survivors on our campus.”
To the Survivor Services team, there are a variety of ways to support survivors including donating to the Survivor Empowerment Fund and raising awareness of the available resources on campus. Knowing where to find the resources provided by Survivor Services can be an important step in connecting someone who may need them.
Through this partnership, the Survivor Services team hopes the chair will serve as a reminder that survivors are not alone and that the campus community supports them.
“We want survivors to look at this chair and know that their broader campus community supports them,” Caradonna said.
If you would like to support this cause, the limited-edition, mini chair can be purchased while supplies last at Wisconsin Union Badger Markets in Union South and Memorial Union or on the Terrace Store website.
Additional donations can be made directly to the Survivor Empowerment Fund.
To learn more about available Survivor Services resources for UW-Madison students or to book an appointment, visit uhs.wisc.edu/survivor-services.
