September Newsletter

Fun Run

Thank you doesn't feel like enough, but it's where we'll start.

To everyone who showed up on race day, whether you ran, walked, or cheered from the sidelines: thank you. To our volunteers, who gave their morning to make sure everything ran smoothly: thank you. To everyone who stopped by our tree and left a message of hope: thank you. Those notes are a reminder that this community shows up, again and again, for survivors making their own way forward. The tree lives at our Home Again store at Market 5555 if you would like to add a message and continue to grow our tree of hope!

And to everyone who gave, in any amount: thank you. Your support funds our Helpline that answers when someone calls. It keeps advocates available to walk beside survivors on their journey, whatever that looks like for them.

This Fun Run happens because our community chooses, year after year, to show up for each other. We're grateful to be part of that.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and we have a bunch of fun ways for you to get involved!

Link Training

In early October, Phil Arkow, nationally recognized expert and coordinator of the National Link Coalition and a longtime leader in the field of animal abuse and family violence, will lead a training webinar for professionals across the systems that encounter families in crisis, including advocates, law enforcement, veterinary professionals, animal welfare staff, prosecutors, and policymakers.

The goal is to help the community better respond to violence. From giving veterinarians tools to inquire about animal injuries to police officers asking about pets in the home when responding to a call for help. Those can be moments when someone trained to recognize the Link sees what a survivor may not yet be able to say out loud.

If you are an advocate, shelter staff, law enforcement, prosecutor, social worker, veterinary professional, or policymaker, and would like to attend, please email us at info@dsvsmontana.org.

A Night of Music for a Shared Cause

Join us for an evening of live music by renowned Nashville singer/songwriters Kostas and Sunny Sweeney at One-Legged Magpie, Friday, Oct.16. The evening starts with a cocktail hour at 6 p.m., followed by the fully seated performance from 7- 9 p.m. The event includes a live auction. Tickets are $75 for VIP (first three rows), and general admission tickets are $50.

Every seat supports two organizations working side by side: Domestic and Sexual Violence Services and Beartooth Humane Alliance. The connection between the two runs deeper than a shared stage. Animal abuse is often an early indicator of danger in a household, a "red flag" that other members of the family may not be safe either. Protecting survivors and protecting the animals who share their homes are part of the same work.

The live auction will feature standout items, among them a signed Sunny Sweeney guitar and a signed Kostas guitar.

Tickets and seats are limited, so grab yours early. We hope to see you there for a night of great music that supports our community.

Can't make it but still want to support? You can also make a shared donation!

Buy Tickets Or Make A Shared Donation

Purple Paw Walk 🐾

Saturday, October 10th | 10 am to 12 pm

Grab your leash and lace up for the Purple Paw Walk! Join us for an easy 1-mile walk through Absarokee, starting and ending at Flanagan's Coffee and Bakery, 58 Montana Ave.

Entry is $35 and includes a raffle ticket and a free purple bandana. Extra raffle tickets are $5 each or 10 for $40. Up for grabs are:

A basket from Absarokee Liquor
West Paw - slow feeder, dog treats, Dog's Best Friend game, and frisbee (separate raffles)
Mead variety from Bearded Viking Mead
Gift certificate for Wild Roots Mobile IV
Gift cards for City Brew Coffee-Red Lodge
Photo session with Sweeney Photography

Along the way, enjoy a free coffee and a post-walk snack; arrive early for free face painting from 9:30 to 11:30 am by the talented Tashia Gates. Dogs, cats, horses, cows, and any other well-behaved companion are welcome, and the street will be closed off so you and your pet can enjoy a safe, traffic-free route. Beartooth Humane Alliance will also be there with adoptable pets!

This walk means more than a good time with your pet. More than 70% of women in domestic violence shelters report that their abuser also harmed, killed, or threatened a pet, according to the National Link Coalition. Pets can be one more reason a survivor delays leaving, and one more reason our work has to include them too.

Every dollar raised supports survivors and their pets on the journey forward.

Can't make it, but want to donate? Use this link and note "Purple Paw" in the comments: https://dsvsmontana.org/donate/

Volunteer Spotlight: Ray Masters!

Ray Masters wanted a little way to help out with DSVS, but Mitzi ran into him at church and had a bigger idea: the lawn.

(And really, you don't argue with Mitzi.)

Since then, Ray has shown up again and again to keep our grounds looking their best, and we notice every time. It's easy to overlook the little things that make a building feel welcoming, but Ray never does. His steady, quiet generosity means so much to our staff and everyone who walks through our doors.

Ray, thank you for the care you put into our property and for being part of this community with us. We are so grateful for you!