October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) and this year we celebrated its 30th birthday!
DVAM was first nationally recognized in 1987, connecting advocates across the nation who were working to end violence against women and their children. Ever since, October has been observed as time for organizations and individuals come together to raise awareness about domestic violence, advocate for new policies and honor accomplishments.
We celebrated DVAM’s 30th birthday with a series of wonderful events shining light on the issue of domestic violence, highlighting our work and celebrating our incredible supporters.
Our events included:
We kicked off DVAM with our annual candlelight vigil on October 5. Our Voices Against Violence Candlelight Vigil brought the community together to remember those we have lost to domestic violence and focused on renewing our commitment to ending violence. We had some incredible speakers join us and had the opportunity to acknowledge some amazing people that have touched our community. To view pictures of this powerful event, visit our photo album here.
We joined National Network to End Domestic Violence Twitter chat on October 17 to discuss #Safety4Survivors with survivors and service providers from all over the country. Follow the hashtag here to see what we all said and how you can promote safety for survivors.
YWCA USA hosted a national Twitter chat on October 19 for it’s Week Without Violence Campaign. Go here to see what we and other YWCAs from all over the world had to say about ending violence. Follow us on Twitter at @ywcaglendale if you’re interested in being a part of future Twitter chats.
On October 21, we partnered with Glendale Galleria’s Bloomingdale’s to host our first-ever Brave is Beautiful Fashion Show where our supporters enjoyed light hors d’oeuvres and watched some marvelous women show us all of the newest fashions. We raised over $1,000 for women and children in our emergency shelter. View our pictures of all of our gorgeous models and attendees here.
One of our largest accomplishments this month was our Purple Purse Challenge! We raised $2,805 thanks to our incredible donors. The funds raised will go directly towards our support services for individuals and families impacted by domestic violence.
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Looking to get more involved in the movement against domestic violence? There’s lots of ways to support YWCA Glendale’s efforts to end domestic violence.
WAYS TO GET INVOLVED:
- Support friends and family. If you know someone who is experiencing domestic violence, talk to them and listen to their story. For tips on how to speak to a loved one about domestic violence, please see How to Help a Friend.
- Get out there. You can attend community events, workshops and trainings that support survivors of domestic violence. These events are great ways to meet other people with the same passion for supporting survivors and a way to learn more about what is happening in your community around the issue of domestic violence. Please see our Events Calendar for events and trainings that we host throughout the year.
- Donate your time. Volunteering with YWCA Glendale is a rewarding way to directly give back to survivors of violence and their children. Read more about available volunteer opportunities here.
- Donate your money. If you are unable to donate your time during “DVAM” but would still like to support our work, you can donate money to YWCA Glendale and our Adopt a Room Program.
- Get your community involved. We are always in need of canned food, diapers, and bed sheets/blankets. Host a donation drive in your community to support survivors of domestic violence on the road to empowerment and self-sufficiency. For information on how to get started, contact Brighid Quinn at brighidquinn@ywcagp.org.