Survivor Solidarity: Demanding an End to Domestic Violence

Observing National Domestic Violence Awareness Month at YWCA Mohawk Valley

 

Every October, YWCA Mohawk Valley adopts a new look, with the agency’s favored shade of bright orange shifting into a rich purple. The transition is made as part of their observation of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM).

 

YWCA MV observes DVAM every year by empowering survivors, having critical conversations about domestic violence, and with signature events and campaigns in partnership with the greater Mohawk Valley community.

“Our community is remarkably caring and tight-knit, qualities that make us proud to be of service to the Mohawk Valley,” says YWCA MV CEO Dianne Stancato. “But that closeness can make it easy to believe that domestic violence doesn’t happen here, to assume that everyone has a safe and happy home to return to every night.”

 

Unfortunately, that is not the reality, even here in the Mohawk Valley.

 

In 2023, just in Oneida County, YWCA MV provided services for 4,418 individuals. By September 30 of 2024, the agency had already served 4,098 individuals, anticipating serving more as the year comes to an end.

“These are staggering numbers for a community like ours,” says Stancato. “We are no strangers to domestic violence; that is why YWCA MV rededicates ourselves every day to our mission to empower women and eliminate all forms of gender-based violence.”

 

With a staff of under 50, YWCA MV provides 24-hour access to life-saving programs, all provided at no cost to their clients. These include shelter, rapid re-housing programs, case management, one-on-one counseling, support groups, referrals, and advocacy and accompaniment through court, law enforcement, and medical proceedings.

“YWCA MV works diligently day and night to serve every person who comes to our door,” says Stancato, “to empower those who seek us out as victims to reclaim their power and become survivors. We believe that together with the rest of our community, we will ultimately eradicate domestic violence.”

 

Through partnerships across the Mohawk Valley, YWCA MV works to create a safe, happy, and healthy community for all. The agency believes the strongest example of the power of partnership is at their annual Take Back the Night, an evening dedicated to standing in solidarity with survivors of domestic violence.

 

YWCA MV’s annual Purple Ribbon Campaign allows the agency and the broader community to create a visual network of support for survivors, further spreading that message of solidarity. They thank the local businesses and organizations who participated this year:

  • Adirondack Bank
  • Bagel Grove
  • Cathedral Corporation
  • Hamilton College Center for Intersectional Feminism
  • The Olde Wicker Mill
  • Style in the Square by Niki Marie
  • Utica Gas and Electric Federal Credit Union (UGEFCU)
  • Young Scholars LLC, Utica University
  • Select SavOn & Maple Leaf Market locations in Madison County in partnership with Liberty Resources Help Restore Hope Center

 

Every year during DVAM, YWCA MV supports YWCA USA’s signature Week Without Violence campaign, aimed at raising awareness for the pervasiveness of gender-based violence by challenging participants to imagine what the world would look like without it. This year’s theme was Financial Abuse, an often over-looked aspect of domestic violence.

October and DVAM help YWCA MV and other service providers across the country shine a light on a dark subject. Raising awareness of this epidemic of violence is a critical part of YWCA MV’s mission.

 

YWCA MV is available for anyone experiencing domestic and/or sexual violence via our free and confidential 24-hour hotline services. Visit ywcamv.org/Chat to reach an advocate directly through our private, secure server. In Oneida County, call or text 315.797.7740 for domestic and sexual violence crisis services. In Herkimer County, call 315.866.4120 for child advocacy and adult sexual violence crisis services. For more information about YWCA MV, visit ywcamv.org.

 

DVAM 2024 is presented by Nimey Auto Group and empowered by Feast and Festivities by O’Connor’s, Bank of Utica, Adorino Construction, Inc., BigMike and Barbara, Coldwell Banker Sexton Real Estate, Mohawk Valley Health System, Elizabeth and Robert Pellegrino, Saunders Kahler LLP, Strategic Financial, The Hartford, and Steet-Ponte Mazda.

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