Clothesline Project Highlights VA’s Fight Against Sexual Abuse and Assault

(KNSI) – The St. Cloud VA is taking part in Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month this April.

The organization is bringing back the Clothesline Project, a visual exhibit about trauma and abuse in the military. Veterans decorate a shirt that depicts their experience and recovery. A press release says the display is powerful because it is often the first time these veterans have acknowledged what happened and the pain it caused.

The shirts are then hung side-by-side, where the Clothesline Project gets its name. Shirts can be picked up in Building 4, Room 180, on March 25th from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., March 27th between 9:00 and 11:00 a.m., April 2nd from noon to 2:00 p.m., or April 5th starting at 10:30 a.m. Mental health clinic staff in Alexandria, Brainerd, and Montevideo will also pass out shirts.

They should be returned by April 8th and will be displayed on the 11th and 12th in the auditorium (Building 8). The exhibit is open to the public from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day.

Outside of the Clothesline Project, the organization prioritizes the subject year-round. The VA says that former service members are eligible to receive care for sexual trauma sustained during their time in the armed forces, even if they are not eligible for other benefits.

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