More than 700 shirts carrying the words of domestic violence victims, survivors and their loved ones lined the Orange County Government Center in Goshen on Friday as Fearless! marked Domestic Violence Awareness Month with its annual Clothesline Project.

The display is designed to make the impact of abuse visible through messages written directly on shirts. Some offer hope, with messages like “You are not alone” and “Don’t be ashamed of your story.” Others reflect the trauma behind them: “We said I do and for 18 years I was black and blue,” “Please just let me grow up loved and healthy,” and “A real man doesn’t hit.”

Fearless! executive director Kellyann Kostyal-Larrier said the project’s symbolism dates back to a time when women often spoke to one another about abuse while hanging laundry on a clothesline.

“These shirts are made by survivors. They are made by loved ones,” Kostyal-Larrier said. “All of the shirts tell a story.”

She said the display can be difficult to look at — but that is part of its purpose.

“If we look away and don’t see the discomfort, then we can’t make change,” Kostyal-Larrier said. “This isn’t one victim. There’s hundreds of victims in our community and county that need us, and they’re relying on us to not ignore it.”

Friday’s event brought together state and local elected officials, law enforcement, emergency management officials and victim advocates. Speakers also referenced the recent Cornell University case involving a former student who alleges she was drugged and sexually assaulted by multiple fraternity members in 2024. The criminal investigation into the allegations has since been reopened.

Advocates said sexual violence and domestic violence can overlap and that many victims continue to struggle to be believed and get access to services. Fearless! says demand for its services is continuing to rise. Kostyal-Larrier said hotline calls are up 19% this year and 30% over the last five years. She also said Fearless! has tracked at least 41 domestic violence-related deaths in Orange and Sullivan counties since 2004 — including 39 women.

The issue has also been visible in several serious cases locally.

In August, a domestic incident between a father and son in Warwick led to an hourslong police standoff. The father suffered minor injuries. In Greenville, 70-year-old Robert Ryan was found dead following a house fire and state police identified his son as the suspect in the homicide investigation.

At the same time demand is rising, Fearless! says it is still dealing with a funding gap following changes to state victim-services funding.

Fearless! initially faced a roughly 30% reduction, or about $465,000. After additional state money was added, Kostyal-Larrier said the agency remains about 10% below its previous funding level — leaving a gap of about $165,000 this year.

She said Orange County has agreed to help cover that shortfall.

Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus called on the state Friday to restore the cuts and provide more consistent funding for victim-service agencies.

“They shouldn’t have to beg for money every year,” Neuhaus said. “Let’s make a commitment to make this permanent funding and restore the cuts that were made to Fearless!”

State Sen. James Skoufis also called for additional support for organizations like Fearless!.

“There are laws that need to be improved. There is more money that needs to be allocated to groups like Fearless!,” Skoufis said.

Skoufis later told News 12 that lawmakers are considering whether changes in state law could provide more stability for victim-service funding. He said funding appropriations are handled through the state budget process, while agencies then determine how those dollars are distributed.

“We are considering how, if possible, this can be dealt with statutorily,” Skoufis said. “Typically, the Legislature appropriates money, then the agency distributes it and sets up those rules.”

The Clothesline Project was on display at the Orange County Government Center in Goshen Friday and will next travel to Veterans’ Memorial Park in Port Jervis on Wednesday, Oct. 7.

The remaining schedule is:

The project was also displayed Thursday at the Sullivan County Government Center in Monticello.