Domestic Violence Awareness Month
http://www.ncadv.org/community/dvamonth.htm

Background:
Domestic Violence Awareness Month evolved from the first Day of Unity observed in October, 1981 by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. The intent was to connect battered women’s advocates across the nation who were working to end violence against women and their children. The Day of Unity soon became a special week when a range of activities were conducted at the local, state, and national levels. These activities were as varied and diverse as the program sponsors but had common themes: mourning those who have died because of domestic violence, celebrating those who have survived, and connecting those who work to end violence. In October 1987, the first Domestic Violence Awareness Month was observed. That same year the first national toll-free hotline was begun. In 1989 the first Domestic Violence Awareness Month Commemorative Legislation was passed by the U.S. Congress. Such legislation has passed every year since with NCADV providing key leadership in this effort.

In October 1994 NCADV, in conjunction with Ms. Magazine, created the http://www.ncadv.org/remember/rememberhome.htm"Remember My Name" project, a national registry to increase public awareness of domestic violence deaths. Since then, NCADV has been collecting information on women who have been killed by an intimate partner and produces a poster each October for Domestic Violence Awareness Month, listing the names of those documented in that year.

The Day of Unity is celebrated the first Monday in October. NCADV hopes that events in communities and regions across the fifty states will culminate in a powerful statement celebrating the strength of battered women and their children http://www.ncadv.org/community/dvamguide.htm

THE NATIONAL COALITION AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE DEPENDS UPON PUBLIC DONATIONS TO CONTINUE ITS WORK. YOU CAN HELP! MAKING A DONATION THROUGH OUR SECURE SERVER IS FAST AND EASY, AND WHEN WE RECEIVE YOUR DONATION, WE WILL SEND YOU AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT IN THE MAIL FOR TAX PURPOSES. CLICK ON THE HYPERLINK BUTTON TO MAKE A DONATION. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Domestic Violence Awareness Month
http://www.ncadv.org/community/profile.htm

Community Profile and Strategy
http://www.ncadv.org/community/shelter.htm

Guidelines for Starting a Shelter
Guidelines:

• Plan as far ahead as possible and involve battered women and children as much as possible.
• Contact your state coalition or network to coordinate and strengthen efforts in your state and region.
• Be sure that the media is aware of your plans.
• T he suggested national observance is a candlelight ceremony on or near the National Day of Unity to remember those who have suffered and died from domestic violence and to celebrate the work being done to end violence.
• Choose a significant public place to hold the vigil.
• Be creative. Include music, poetry, dance, moments of silence, and stories shared by women.
• Purple is the color for the Month’s activities. Wear purple ribbons to bring national awareness to the issues faced by battered women and their children.
• Start small if you wish, but plan now to do something during October.
• Make Domestic Violence Awareness Month part of your evolving herstory.

Activities and Ideas Ribbon Campaign:
Distribute purple ribbons to clergy, police chiefs, judges, librarians, emergency room personnel, and others in your community.

Table Tent Campaign: Print table tents with a reminder that October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and information about services and how to access them. Distribute table tents to area restaurants and hospital cafeterias.

Utility Company Campaign: Ask local utility companies to include a message in their October bills. (Sometimes banks are also willing to include information in their monthly statements.)

Library Displays: Contact public libraries in your area and provide them with materials for a display.

Church Campaign: Send a mass mailing to all religious institutions in your area asking them to address the issue from the pulpit or in their newsletter during October.

Children’s Campaign: Have children from the shelter write thank you cards with painted hand prints on them to be distributed to police departments, judges, probation officers and prosecutors in the county.

Chili Cook-Off: Have a chili cooking contest with prizes and entertainment. Invite individual cooks, teams and restaurants to compete, with tasting open to the public. The proceeds benefit the local shelter.

Clothesline Project Display: Display tee-shirts created by survivors of domestic violence in a public place. The shirts depict their stories, their pain and their hopes.

Teen Dating Violence Essay Contest: Hold essay contests in area schools with an awards ceremony.

Wish List Drive: Put posters in area beauty salons displaying the shelter’s wish list and making literature and information available. For every item contributed, the person's name is entered in a drawing for a prize. Please send information on your local event each year to: NCADV - DVAM Information, P.O. Box 18749, Denver, CO 80218-0749. A national calendar will be published on an annual basis. NCADV publishes a Domestic Violence Awareness Month Resource Packet or Manual every two years. Contact NCADV to receive ordering and pricing information or visit our product page.