UNION and Interval House's 'Bruised Fruit' Offers Abuse Victims a Supermarket Lifeline

Interval House and UNION launch a new awareness program, Bruised Fruit, a supermarket fruit display with hidden messages educating shoppers on intimate partner violence – violence doesn’t lift like Covid-19 restrictions. Starting today and ending in August, shoppers can witness these displays at The Big carrot on the 348 Danforth Ave. in Toronto and more displays will be popping up around the city. 

Since the onset of Covid-19, intimate partner violence has increased by over 30 percent in Canada. Women are effectively trapped in their homes with their abusers, and the isolation has limited their ability to seek help. Interval House, Canada’s first shelter for abused women and children, has partnered with creative agency UNION, to covertly get life-saving information to women in the most public place, the grocery store. 

Union created a ‘Bruised Fruit’ market display to reach women who may be experiencing abuse -- they take solace at the grocery store as this typically may be the only place their abusers allow them to go. Upon first glance, the market display looks like a stand of over-ripened apples, but there’s more than meets the eye. Each bruised apple confronts people with the rotten truth of abuse with important messages like, “During the pandemic, abusive relationships become more physically violent.” The sticker on each apple also provides discreet contact information for Interval House's 24/7 Crisis Line.

“It’s the perfect storm”, says Paula Del Cid, manager of Shelter Services and Outreach at Interval House. “Women are more vulnerable to intimate partner violence than ever, and it’s also harder than ever for them to reach out for help. The bruised apples are a way to get them the information they need, secretly and safely.” 

Canadians are beginning to breathe a sigh of relief that things are slowly opening up after a long winter of Covid-19 constraints, but abused women continue to be in lockdown. 

With her abuser constantly looking over her shoulder, a woman is unable to freely seek out information or get help. She is rarely alone. We have to find opportunities to talk to her that are safe and out of the constant monitoring eye of her abuser.