MIDDLEBORO — The Social Justice Team of the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Middleboro, 25 South Main St., will present a service on domestic violence awareness Sunday, July 16, from 9 to 10 a.m.,

Domestic violence claims an especially heavy toll here in eastern Massachusetts, as attested to by breaking news stories from Raynham and Brockton the first week of July, event organizers said.

The service will feature guest speaker “Jane Doe” from the local area who was badly injured and now lives under constant threat.  She is dedicated to raising awareness and helping other survivors.  All are welcome, and dress is casual. 

The church lawn will also host a display of 22 full-size silhouettes honoring the memory of some of the Massachusetts women and children killed by their abusers in the recent past.  This “silent witness” display will be on the lawn for a week, July 16-22.

Thirty-four percent of Massachusetts women experience intimate partner physical violence, intimate partner sexual violence, and/or intimate partner stalking in their lifetime, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence: Domestic Violence in Massachusetts. 

On a typical day, according to the same source, Massachusetts local domestic violence hotlines receive 19,000 calls; that’s 13 calls per minute. 

For more information, the social justice team’s email is  sjt@uumiddleboro.org.

The First Unitarian Universalist Society of Middleboro is a non-profit religious institution.  The website is uumiddleboro.org.