A small purple sticker has been appearing in washrooms across the municipality this summer as part of a public visibility campaign led by the Chatham-Kent Sexual Assault Crisis Centre.
The sticker carries a simple message: free sexual assault support is available in the community. The centre has now distributed the stickers to more than 200 businesses throughout Chatham-Kent, including restaurants, stores and gyms.
Unlike typical awareness campaigns that rely on billboards, social media or public events, the centre’s approach is intentionally understated. Rather than displaying the stickers in storefronts, the centre asked participating businesses to place them in washrooms, spaces where a person is alone and away from public view.
Kaitlyn Kirchner, the centre’s community outreach coordinator, said the choice is deliberate, since washrooms offer privacy for someone who may not feel safe seeking help in the presence of others, including a partner, family member or acquaintance who may be present elsewhere in a business. Each sticker includes the centre’s website and 24-hour crisis line, giving community members a direct and confidential way to access support.
“We want people to notice it, remember it, and know it’s there when they need it, today, next month, or years from now. Someone might walk past that sticker ten times before it means anything to them, and that’s okay. The goal isn’t for it to be useful right away. It’s for it to still be there, still be true, on the day someone finally needs it. That’s really what this whole campaign comes down to: making sure that when someone is ready, the information is already there waiting for them,” Kirchner said.
The Chatham-Kent Sexual Assault Crisis Centre is a grassroots organization providing services for women and girl-identifying, trans and non-binary individuals aged 16 and older who have experienced sexual violence, including a 24-hour crisis line and informational resources on sexual assault, harassment and abuse.
The centre is asking residents and business owners to keep an eye out for the stickers, both to gauge how far the campaign has reached and to help spread the word. Business owners who have not yet received a sticker but would like to participate can email the centre at cksacc@cksacc.org.
Anyone in Chatham-Kent affected by sexual assault, harassment, exploitation or abuse can reach the centre’s 24-hour crisis line at 519-354-8688 or visit cksacc.org for more information.
