Presbyterian Support Southland (PSS) and First Presbyterian Church of Invercargill combined for a second year in a row to host 4-days of White Ribbon events to raise awareness of family violence in Southland. We were grateful to secure The Very Rev Ray Coster, the White Ribbon Ambassador, to be part of the events as our special guest.
We started with a combined churches White Ribbon service, which was held at St Paul’s Presbyterian Church, with Ray as the guest preacher. Ray then spent time with the PSS Family Works team, listening to their stories and sharing the work he does with White Ribbon.
Ray was also the guest speaker of the main event, a breakfast hosted by the Otago Southland Employers Association on White Ribbon Day. During the breakfast Ray talked with employers about the significance of White Ribbon Day and the impacts of family violence in New Zealand. In the afternoon, First Church had Ray help with a public event, where members of the community could show they were taking stand against family violence by tying white ribbons to the church fence or leaving stakes in the ground.
