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October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

For DV Awareness Month, the Seattle Great Wheel, Columbia Center Tower, and Lumen Field will go purple on Thursday, October 21, 2021 for #PugetSoundPurpleThursday. Please join us in raising awareness of domestic violence by wearing purple NEXT THURSDAY, and share your photo on social media with the hashtag. Include in your photo a sign stating why you are wearing purple on this day.

“Kim” is a survivor of domestic violence. Kim experienced multiple forms of abuse including mental, emotional, and financial. The violence was also beginning to escalate for her kids which prompted her to leave. She was very fearful of the uncertainty because everything she had was in her husband’s name (i.e. house, car). After years of living in fear, Kim chose to flee and sought assistance with a local domestic violence (DV) program for her and her children. Once she began working with a the agency, Kim discovered that she could independently advocate for herself. With the agency’s assistance, Kim received funding support for housing, enrolled in counseling and support groups, and obtained employment. Client assistance funds provided by the City of Seattle covered Kim’s move-in expenses, clothing for her and her children, transportation costs, and therapeutic services.

Banner image with purple ribbon and text October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM). It is a time to remember victims/survivors of abuse and exploitation, to raise awareness of violence and its effect on families and communities, and a time to acknowledge and highlight those working to address ending gender-based violence. Kim is one of 10,931 individuals/families assisted in 2020, by the Seattle-funded network of providers. Our providers work in collaboration to provide wrap around services for survivors and their families including advocacy, counseling, therapeutic services, housing/shelter, legal assistance and representation, and systems enhancement. In addition, some also participate in regional coalition building efforts such as Access to Advocacy, Peace in the Home Helpline, Day One, Coordinated Effort Against Sexual Exploitation (CEASE), Criminal Justice Committee, Domestic Violence Prevention Council (DVPC), and Domestic Violence Intervention Project (DVIP), which convene regularly to assess, identify, plan and address systems needs and gaps, and to ensure that Seattle’s regional response is seamless.

Along with the Mayor’s proclamation of the month, we would like to take this opportunity to thank the following agencies for their partnership and commitment to ending gender-based violence:

  • Abused Deaf Women’s Advocacy Services
  • ACT & T
  • API Chaya
  • Asian Counseling and Referral Service
  • Atlantic Street Center
  • Aurora Commons
  • Casa Latina
  • Chief Seattle Club
  • Coalition Ending Gender-Based Violence
  • Consejo Counseling and Referral Service
  • Domestic Abuse Women’s Network
  • Eastside Legal Assistance Program
  • Filipino Community of Seattle
  • Gender Justice League
  • Green Light Project
  • Harborview Center for Sexual Assault and Traumatic Stress
  • InterIm CDA
  • Jewish Family Service
  • King County Sexual Assault Resource Center
  • King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office
  • La Esperanza
  • LifeWire
  • Mother Nation
  • Multi-Communities
  • New Beginnings
  • Northwest Immigrant Rights Project
  • Northwest Justice Project
  • Northwest Network
  • Organization for Prostitution Survivors
  • Powerful Voices
  • Real Escape from the Sex Trade
  • Refugee Women’s Alliance
  • The Salvation Army
  • Seattle City Attorney’s Office
  • Seattle Indian Health Board
  • Seattle Municipal Court
  • Seattle Police Department
  • Solid Ground
  • Somali Family Safety Task Force
  • WA Anti-Trafficking Response Network (WARN)
  • YouthCare
  • YWCA King, Pierce, Snohomish

Please click on the image above of Seattle Human Services Department (HSD) Acting Director, Tanya Kim, and Safe and Thriving Communities Division Director, Rex Brown, for a video message thanking our partners for their commitment to ending gender-based violence and calling on everyone to help us raise awareness during the month of October. Thanks again for your work, support, and partnership!

Seattle Great Wheel lit up in purple at night

During DV Awareness Month, our partners at the Columbia Center Tower, Lumen Field, and The Seattle Great Wheel will be changing their lights to “wear purple” on Thursday, October 21, 2021 for #PugetSoundPurpleThursday.

HSD’s Mayor’s Office on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault and the Seattle Office of Labor Standards are inviting everyone to join us to raise awareness of domestic violence NEXT THURSDAY, and share your photo on social media with the hashtags #PurpleThursday and #PugetSoundPurplethursday. Include in your photo a sign stating why you are wearing purple on this day or why this cause has special meaning for you.

Sign image with purple ribbon and text which reads I wear purple for all victims and survivors of domestic violence