It's an old saying and a true one. If you see evil taking place and do nothing about it, then you are complicit in that evil. But Intown Ace Hardware in Decatur, Georgia, is definitely not complicit. They are doing something.

Let's take a look, then, at the wrongs Intown Ace Hardware (along with some bandana assistance from Wholesale For Everyone) is striving to help put right.

Domestic Violence Against Women

Many of us think domestic violence is something that happens to those "other people" – you know, the ones who live on the wrong side of town and who should have or could have prevented it. But it's everywhere in our midst, among all socio-economic classes and ethnic groups, insidiously eroding society's foundational institution. Consider these eye-opening statistics:

• On average, almost 20 people per minute – that's 20 every 60 seconds! – "are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States," which works out to more than 10 million victims of domestic abuse yearly.

• One in four women experiences "severe intimate partner physical violence, intimate partner contact sexual violence, and/or intimate partner stalking."

• One in every three women has experienced "some form of physical violence by an intimate partner."

• "On a typical day, there are more than 20,000 phone calls placed to domestic violence hotlines nationwide."

• "Domestic victimization is correlated with a higher rate of depression and suicidal behavior."

Those statistics are bad enough for us as a nation, but consider a few statistics for the state of Georgia alone:

• "More than 100 Georgians are killed every year in domestic violence related homicides."

• "According to the CDC, 30 percent of women in Georgia between the ages of 14 and 44 have been assaulted by an intimate partner at least once."

Keep in mind, too, that domestic violence doesn't affect only the people directly involved. The harmful effects spiral outward into society at large. "It crosses all boundaries of age, race, ethnicity, religion, economic background, physical ability, and sexual orientation. The damage to body and spirit inflicted by domestic violence has been linked to other societal problems such as homelessness, escalated suicide rates, crime, teen pregnancy, premature births, and miscarriages."

But the Women's Resource Center to End Domestic Violence is dong something about this problem, at least in the Decatur, Georgia, area.

Women's Resource Center to End Domestic Violence (WRCDV)

The mission statement for the Women's Resource Center to End Domestic Violence (WRCDV) is succinct and forceful: "Our mission is to create a society in which domestic violence no longer exists." That's about as well said as it can get.

The organization's first line of attack in achieving this goal is striving "to meet the immediate and long-term needs of the diverse community of battered women and their children that promote safety, compassion, connection, advocacy, and prevention." They help these women:

• Find a safe place to stay

• Exercise their legal rights

• Explore options

• Create accountability for batterers

And here's how they do it . . .

"We greet women with compassion – no judgment, no second-guessing, and no shame. We provide connection – through relationships built with our staff, support groups and bonds forged with fellow safe house residents. By linking women with community supports and offering our services, we make sure no one has to take this walk alone. Equally importantly, we provide a voice for survivors when they cannot speak for themselves and a platform for those who can speak to be heard. Our advocacy for survivors of domestic violence works to change the culture that allows abuse to thrive. That advocacy, coupled with our powerful work with children, facilitates prevention and ending domestic violence altogether."

Read about WRCDV's genesis here and find out more about the available programs here.

Women and Families in Need of Healthcare and CAPN Clinics

The other societal problem under consideration here is the lack of proper healthcare for certain segments of the population in Georgia. Healthcare in the US is, in many ways and for many people (especially the so-called homeless), broken. If you can't afford insurance or can't qualify for social programs, you typically don't get even basic healthcare. Need the proof of numbers?

• There are approximately 14,000 people living in Georgia without homes.

• 30% of Georgia's homeless population comprises families with children.

• Atlanta sees 300,000 preventable emergency room visits every year.

• The average cost of an emergency room visit is $1,500 – which means preventable health expenditure in Atlanta of $400,000 annually.

• Georgia ranks 36^th in the nation in healthcare access.

• More than 650,000 people lack access to affordable, quality healthcare – and 144,000 of these are children.

The simple fact is many people are, for whatever reason, medically underserved – and the numbers are growing. CAPN Clinics are working to correct that situation. Why? Because they "believe that access to healthcare for the medically underserved is fundamental to empowering people and restoring communities." And it is.

The Atlanta-based CAPN Clinics "increase access to high-need care, decrease costly emergency room visits, and prepare the next generation of healthcare providers." This worthy organization provides quality healthcare regardless of recipients' ability to pay. The areas of emphasis are physical healthcare, mental healthcare, and patient education. Services are provided on-site at shelters, through walk-in appointments, and free of charge.

In fact, last year alone, CAPN Clinics:

• Hosted 6,345 patient visits;

• Treated 3,567 individual patients; and

• Addressed 4.4 healthcare needs per patient visit.

And the majority of their patients are among the most vulnerable, often overlapping with the domestic violence population. For 83% of adult patients are women, and 54% of patients are children and youth.

It is indeed something needed. So, now, let's see how Intown Ace Hardware is doing their part in all this.

Intown Ace Hardware, Decatur, Georgia – "Coolest Ace on the Planet"

Intown Ace Hardware is, no doubt, a unique place. In fact, it was once voted the coolest Ace on the entire planet. That should tell you that it's much more than just a place to buy nails and screws and garden hoses.

Intown is a one-of-a-kind hardware store. Come December of this year, they will have been in business for 34 years. They try hard to create a family atmosphere where everyone feels welcome. Besides the typical hardware-store stuff, they sell clothing and jewelry. One of the big sellers is the bandanas supplied by Wholesale For Everyone.

We spoke to Linda Cummings of Intown, and she said that these bandanas are one of their best-selling items. "We sell a lot bandanas, and we recently sold 50 to one person." Because they are such popular items, they are displayed near the register.

Beyond all that, Inown Ace Hardware is unique in the way management and staff show appreciation to customers, especially women customers. They do this with their "Ladies Night" blowout, now in its second year.

Intown's "Ladies Night"

On December 10 of this year, Intown Ace Hardware hosted its second annual "Ladies Night." The goal is simply to have a great time and show appreciation for customers – all while raising funds for the work of WRCDV and CAPN Clinics. Cummings said they want women who might be victims of domestic violence to know there is help and to encourage them to ask for help.

Here are some highlights from last year's inaugural "Ladies Night":

• Over the span of three hours, Intown welcomed approximately 250 ladies who enjoyed freshly grilled appetizers, a wide selection of wine and other beverages, live music, and the wonderful company of one another.

• The first 100 women (some of whom queued up an hour in advance) received gift bags overflowing with a wide assortment of awesome products.

• 75 lucky ladies were awarded fabulous door prizes, including a Yeti cooler and Weber grill.

• Over $3,000 was raised for CAPN Clinics to support its mission of providing free health care to local women and children.

And 2019's "Ladies Night" was an even more resounding success.

Donations doubled, and there were twice as many attendees, the number swelling form 250 in 2018 to over 500 this year. And . . .  

• To accommodate last year's overflow demand, hours were extended from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm.

• The event again featured wonderful gift bags and door prizes.

• Jessica and Big Daddy, winner of The Battle of the Bands 2019, entertained throughout the evening.

• Of course, fine food (little bites), wine, and other drinks were served.

• Funds raised at "Ladies' Night" to benefit WRCDV amounted to $2,270, just about double the $1,182 raised last year.

• WRCDV founder and US Poet Laureate (2012 and 2014) Natasha Trethewey delivered short readings.

Simply put, Intown Ace Hardware is a business that makes it a priority to give back and to improve the world we live in . . . and so is Wholesale For Everyone.

Wholesale For Everyone – Quality Products, Great Prices, and Customer Service

As we mentioned, the first 100 "Ladies Night" attendees received complimentary goodie bags. And in these gift bags were bandanas donated by Wholesale For Everyone. So we asked Cummings why Intown chose Wholesale For Everyone.

She said, first, that when they order bandanas from Wholesale For Everyone, they get there fast. Cummings also indicated that if they have any questions or concerns about a product or order, Wholesale For Everyone is very helpful in assisting in any way they can. "They are," she said, "very professional and helpful."

Cummings emphasized that she really appreciates the bandanas donated for "Ladies Night," especially the quality of the product. Her final word on Wholesale For Everyone was this: "We really like the company."

Stand Up, Don't Stand By

Ultimately, we can't just stand by and let bad things happen to good people. We have to stand up and do something . . . like Intown Ace Hardware and Wholesale For Everyone.

A good first step is to donate to good causes and organizations like WRCDV and CAPN Clinics. And it never hurts to patronize the businesses – like Intown Ace Hardware and Wholesale For Everyone – that do their part in making the world a better place.