Reflecting on Domestic Violence Awareness Month

October marked Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM)—a time to come together as a community to honor survivors, raise awareness, and prevent abuse. It takes a community.

Awareness efforts began even before October, thanks to the General Federation of Women’s Clubs of Tooele (GFWC). They worked with local businesses and community members, putting up purple ribbons around town to spark early conversations about DVAM.

At the beginning of the month, volunteers joined our staff to place 1,220 flags representing the number of DV calls WJPD received last year, and 520 pinwheels representing the number of survivors sheltered outside West Jordan’s City Hall. We stood alongside the West Jordan City Police during a press conference to recognize DVAM, as the West Valley Council officially proclaimed October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Each declaration and public acknowledgment is a reminder that ending domestic violence requires all of us—neighbors, leaders, and local organizations—working together.

Our Development Manager represented our organization at the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office press conference and on a Leadership Institute panel with ChamberWest, sharing how workplaces and community spaces can support survivors. A member of our Speakers Bureau also joined ChamberWest’s Women in Business series to speak about the realities of domestic violence, financial abuse, and the power of awareness.

In Tooele County, our team connected with families at the Honey Harvest Festival and Trunk or Treats in both Grantsville and Tooele, sharing information about services and resources available to those in need. We also joined providers from across the state at the Dear Utah Rally, united in our commitment to safety and healing for all.

We continued spreading awareness at the State Small Business Expo, emphasizing how domestic violence affects workplaces and shared ways businesses can support their customers and staff. Throughout the month, we sold merchandise to raise funds for our Survivor Resilience Fund and wore purple for Purple Thursday to stand in solidarity with survivors.

At our Salt Lake County Sanctuary, the community helped bring joy to residents through a Trunk or Treat event, put on by Cross Tower Church, pumpkins for carving donated by Schmidt’s Farm and Greenhouse and Mabey’s Pumpkin Patch, and Amazon employees decorated the space for Halloween.

From volunteers and partners to local officials and community members—this month was proof that it truly takes a community to make a difference. We’re grateful to everyone who helped raise awareness and stand with survivors. Together, we’re building a future rooted in safety, support, and hope.