East Windsor chooses respect., In recognition of April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), East Windsor recently hosted a tree lighting ceremony in conjunction with Womanspace., Participants included Womanspace counselor Alana Goebel, Chief of Police James Geary and township police officers, and council members Perry Shapiro, Alan Rosenberg and John Zoller., The tree, which sits along One Mile Road outside the East Windsor Police/Court Building, was decorated with teal lights to symbolize the community’s commitment to sexual assault awareness, deterrence and prevention. This year’s theme for the lighting is “Choose Respect.”, Womanspace, a not-for-profit agency, is the primary Mercer County–based organization providing a comprehensive array of services to individuals impacted by domestic violence and sexual assault., “We hope that our participation will help focus public attention on the important subject of sexual assault and domestic violence present in all communities throughout our state and nation, and encourage residents to become more aware of support systems and resources available to victims and families,” said East Windsor Mayor Janice Mironov. “This year’s efforts are geared to involve new groups and individuals in expanding sexual assault prevention efforts in our communities and promote attitudes for healthy relationships, equality and respect.”, “The ceremony of lighting the tree sends publicly the message that victims are not alone and demonstrates a strong coordinated community response that can make a substantial difference in the lives of victims and their families,” said Womanspace counselor Alana Goebel. She thanked all attending for their support and joining with Womanspace to raise awareness in the community and for demonstrating support to victims of sexual assault.
