February is National Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month.

To encourage healthy dating relationships, Steps to HOPE recently installed bulletin boards at Polk County High School, Polk County Middle School and Landrum Middle School, which give students tips for healthy relationships. The boards present the message using the theme of “Stranger Things” to make the subject approachable and interesting to students.

“Stranger Things” is a popular original series, which is currently in its second season on Netflix.

Steps to HOPE places bulletin boards in local schools each month during the year as a community outreach project. The boards are meant to encourage students to build healthy relationships. The organization delivers positive messages to students and faculty and provides contact information for anyone who might need its services.

Steps to HOPE is the local domestic violence and sexual assault treatment and prevention center, which serves western North Carolina and upstate South Carolina. People who know someone who is being abused, or if wish to sponsor a prevention program or support Steps to HOPE, should call 828- 894-2340.

– Submitted by Paula Culbreth