Information below provided by Mallory Burton-Harris – Marketing and Communications Coordinator for Janelle Grum Family Crisis Center of East Texas (Women’s Shelter of East Texas, Inc.) – P.O. Box 510 – Lufkin, TX 75902 Phone: (936) 639-1681 Email: mharris@fccet.com Website: fccet.org
LUFKIN, TEXAS – October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and the Janelle Grum Family Crisis Center of East Texas (FCCET) is using this year’s campaign, “Every 1 Knows Some 1,” to remind the community that domestic violence affects far more people than we may realize.
Family Crisis Center staff gather at the 2025 Passion for Purple Luncheon, an annual agency event bringing the East Texas community together to raise awareness of domestic violence and support survivors.
Domestic violence does not happen in one type of family, one neighborhood, one age group, or one socioeconomic environment. It can affect people across East Texas and can impact survivors, children, family members, friends, coworkers, classmates, neighbors, and entire communities. While domestic violence may sometimes be visible, many of the most significant signs of abuse can remain hidden.
“Every 1 Knows Some 1” is a reminder to look beyond what we can see,” said Whitney Burran, Executive Director. “Domestic violence can take many forms, and sometimes the person experiencing it may be the last person we would expect. We want our community to understand that abuse can be hidden in plain sight, and that listening, believing survivors, and knowing where to turn for help can make a meaningful difference.”
Abuse is not always something that can be seen from the outside. Controlling finances, monitoring phones and social media, isolating someone from family and friends, using children to exert control, threatening to share private information, interfering with employment or transportation, and other forms of coercive control can be difficult for others to recognize. Survivors may also face barriers that make reaching out for help difficult or unsafe. As a result, someone we know may be experiencing abuse without us ever realizing it.
Throughout October, FCCET staff will be out in the community at tabling events, educational opportunities, and other activities to share information about domestic violence, available resources, and ways community members can support survivors. The agency encourages residents to stop by, ask questions, learn about the signs of abuse, and help spread awareness throughout their own circles of family, friends, workplaces, schools, and communities.
Passion for Purple Luncheon Highlights Domestic Violence Awareness Month
As part of its Domestic Violence Awareness Month efforts, FCCET will host its 4th Annual Passion for Purple Luncheon on Thursday, October 8th, 2026, at the Pitser Garrison Convention Center in Lufkin.
The event will begin with a free, optional Meet & Greet with keynote speaker Melissa Dohme-Hill at 10:30 a.m., followed by the luncheon at 11:30 a.m., featuring lunch from Grandough Baking Company.
Melissa Dohme-Hill is pictured above.
Dohme-Hill is a nationally recognized domestic violence survivor, advocate, and inspirational speaker whose story is one of survival, healing, resilience, and purpose. After surviving a near-fatal domestic violence attack in 2012, Melissa made an extraordinary recovery and went on to dedicate her life to advocating for victims and survivors and speaking openly about life after trauma. She currently serves as Executive Director of Julie Weintraub’s Hands Across the Bay, a nonprofit dedicated to helping families in crisis. Her story has been featured by national media outlets including People Magazine, 48 HOURS: Live to Tell, 20/20: In An Instant, and Investigation Discovery.
“Passion for Purple is about much more than one luncheon,” Burran said. “It is an opportunity for our community to come together during Domestic Violence Awareness Month and say that survivors matter, their experiences matter, and they deserve access to safety, support, and a path forward. We are honored to have Melissa share her story and grateful to every single community member who continues to stand alongside the survivors we serve.”
The Janelle Grum Family Crisis Center of East Texas extends its sincere appreciation to the businesses and organizations helping make this year’s Passion for Purple Luncheon possible:
- Williams Electric — Meet & Greet Sponsor
- Summit Fire & Security — Gold Sponsor
- Ellen Temple — Gold Sponsor
- The UPS Store — Speaker Sponsor
- Commercial Bank of Texas — Silver Sponsor
- Ferrara’s Heating and Air Conditioning — Printing Sponsor
- The Bettye & Murphy George Foundation — Meal Sponsor
- KicBac — Raffle Sponsor
- Flournoy & Flournoy — Photo Booth Sponsor
The support of these sponsors and others helps the agency continue its work supporting survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault throughout East Texas.
Supporting Survivors Beyond October
Passion for Purple directly supports the life-saving services provided by the Janelle Grum Family Crisis Center of East Texas. FCCET serves adult and child survivors through a 24/7 crisis hotline, emergency shelter, transitional housing, counseling, personal and legal advocacy, outreach services, and other support designed to help survivors navigate the immediate and long-term effects of abuse.
The agency’s work also extends beyond crisis response. FCCET provides public education and prevention programming throughout the community, including presentations in schools focused on topics such as online safety, healthy friendships and relationships, bullying, and other issues that help young people recognize unhealthy behaviors and build safer relationships. The agency also operates a Battering Intervention and Prevention Program (BIPP) as part of its broader efforts to address domestic violence and promote accountability and prevention.
“When we talk about ending domestic violence, we are talking about more than responding after abuse happens,” Burran said. “We are also talking about education, prevention, early intervention, and creating communities where people recognize unhealthy and abusive behaviors and know how to respond. “Every 1 Knows Some 1” gives all of us an opportunity to be more aware, more informed, and more willing to stand with survivors.”
Tickets for the 4th Annual Passion for Purple Luncheon are still available, but seating is limited. Tickets can be purchased at https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/passion-for-purple-luncheon–2026 or through fccet.org or the link can also be found on the agency’s Facebook and Instagram pages.
For more information about Passion for Purple, contact Mallory Harris at (936) 639-1681 or mharris@fccet.com.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence or sexual assault, help is available. The Janelle Grum Family Crisis Center of East Texas operates a 24/7 crisis hotline at 1-800-828-7233 (1-800-828-SAFE) and a confidential text line at 936-552-9256.
ABOUT THE FAMILY CRISIS CENTER OF EAST TEXAS
The Family Crisis Center of East Texas (FCCET) is a non-profit organization that empowers survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault by providing crisis intervention and advocacy services. The FCCET also engages the community through education to build awareness and prevent domestic violence and sexual assault. Since 1979, the Janelle Grum Family Crisis Center of East Texas (Women’s Shelter of East Texas, Inc.) staffs a full array of professionals specializing in assistance for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. Those services included emergency shelter, a 24-hour crisis hotline, access to food and clothing, information and referral, legal and personal advocacy, child advocacy, counseling, support groups, transitional housing, homeless prevention, financial assistance, child care assistance, and more.