Proud to Be from Pittsburgh: ‘A Day in My Shoes'

PITTSBURGH — Walk a mile in someone else’s shoes and your whole worldview could change. That’s part of the motivation behind a campaign to raise awareness about domestic violence.

The photography project is called “A Day in My Shoes.” It’s been done in cities, including New York, San Francisco and now Pittsburgh.

“I married the wrong guy when I was in my 20s, and I hated who I had become,” photographer Amy Martin-Friedman said.

Friedman got back on her feet, but said she knows what it's like to be in the shoes of the abused. It’s what influences the photos she takes for the "A Day in My Shoes" project.

“A day in my shoes was born to give women, who were maybe like me at one point, or currently like I was then, an opportunity to tell their story anonymously with the hope of a silver lining,” she said.

Friedman’s latest shoot supports the Women's Center and Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh. She captured images of local women, some who live at the shelter and others who support the shelter. The photos and the stories that go with them were on display this week at a gallery in East Liberty.

The shoes in which the women stand so proudly in are noticed, but their identities are not.

“If you take away the face, you can feel like what it feels to be in their shoes,” Friedman said.

Cynthia Liefeld of Sewickley brought Friedman’s project to Pittsburgh to focus on the problem of domestic violence.

“I wanted to give back to women, so they can get back on their feet after having been abused,” she said.

Liefeld said she also hopes to raise money for the Pittsburgh shelter, which is in need of an expansion.

“One of the reasons we are trying to raise money to increase our facility is because we have to turn people away,” Women's Center and Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh board member Rachel Allen said.

Allen said the shelter helps up to 14,000 women annually.

“It's really impressive to see women who are trying to take this issue and make it more visible and in such a unique way,” she said.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness month. Anyone who would like to purchase one of Friedman's photo books or make a donation to support the women's shelter can do so by CLICKING HERE.

WPXI