Support DSVS in Their 25th Year Serving Carbon and Stillwater Counties and Honor Domestic Violence Awareness Month by Supporting Pets Displaced by Domestic Violence with a Purchase of Donuts
By DSVS
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM), and it is a critical time for us all to come together as a community to make a difference. At its fundamental level, community is about relationships. Violence is an expression of community disintegration. It thrives in isolation and ignorance. For 25 years, the mission of Domestic and Sexual Violence Services, (DSVS) has been to empower those impacted by violence and foster healthy relationships. And yet, violence persists in our community. DSVS has been sought out by nearly 3,000 people since 1999, and the need for those services is not decreasing.
The theme for DVAM this year is #Every1KnowsSome1 and reflects the fact that 1 in 3 women, 1 in 4 men, and nearly 1/2 of LGBTQ+ people will experience domestic violence in their lifetime. These statistics mean that you know at least one person who has or is being abused right now. It also means that you know an abuser. Our rurality does not protect us, and our good intentions do not absolve us. Domestic violence disproportionately impacts survivors of color, survivors with disabilities, immigrant survivors, and other survivors already experiencing marginalization and discrimination. High rates of domestic violence are not private, individual problems; they require community solutions. By acknowledging this reality, we can actively work towards ending domestic violence and create safe, healthy communities for everyone.
If #Every1KnowsSome1, then it is up to each of us to protect our neighbors and to keep each other safe. Calling violence by its true name and providing tools for safety is the work of connection and hope… and it is work that each of us can do in some way.
Words of encouragement, validation, connection with resources or financial support, safety planning, a car repair, or a person to talk to at 2 am are all short-term reliefs that may lighten the burden of violence in the moment, but truly empowering survivors means addressing the violent culture we exist in and challenge the norms of violence that are all around us. This not only includes getting involved when you hear or see abuse, it means having uncomfortable conversations when someone makes a sexist, racist, or homophobic joke. It means getting educated and recognizing victim blaming, understanding the barriers to leaving an abusive relationship, and demanding abusers be held accountable for their crimes.
DSVS frames our mission to end violence as community work – because it takes a community to combat isolation and connection to undo the oppression of abuse. Through a series of events and activities throughout the month, DSVS seeks to engage community members in an open dialogue about domestic violence, its underlying causes, and how to support survivors. One of the key highlights of the #Every1KnowsSome1 campaign is:
Pastries4Paws; Having to face surrendering a pet to a shelter or leaving them behind to be mistreated by an abuser is all too frequently enough to make a victim of abuse stay in an unsafe relationship. Proceeds from Pastries4Paws, in conjunction with support from the Beartooth Humane Alliance, will pay for an initial medical examination for a fostered pet and will cover all of the costs related to taking care of the animal while it is in foster care. Preorder your dozen donuts for $30 from the Pollard Hotel for pick up on October 25th by calling
(406) 446-0001, single donuts will also be available for purchase the day of the 25th. We will have a pick-up location for Stillwater residents in Absarokee at the Main Street Commons from 9am-11am on the 25th, please let the Pollard know if you are calling from Stillwater when you place your order. If you are interested in being added to the list of pet foster homes, please email info@dsvsmontana.org.
More community events throughout 2024 can be found HERE
If you or someone you know is in an unhealthy relationship, please call our 24/7 free and confidential Helpline at (406) 425-2222.