Get Healthy Carson City: Domestic Violence Awareness Month

October is Domestic Violence awareness month. You will see downtown Carson covered in purple bows throughout the month.

It is one way that Advocates to End Domestic Violence is able to bring awareness to our community. AEDV runs the largest shelter in Northern Nevada for victims of domestic violence. In 2018, it was able to provide 5,675 bed nights for victims and their families.

If someone is in need of shelter, call its 24-hour crisis hotline at 775-883-7654. When the phone rings, no matter the time of day or night, a trained advocate will be on the line waiting to help. Advocates has more than 30 volunteers answering the crisis hotline after hours and on the weekends. No call will ever go unanswered. The crisis hotline advocates are able to talk with each victim and help him or her with referrals and resources that best fit their needs.

AEDV has been serving victims and their families in Carson City for 40 years. AEDV was started by two women who saw a need to help victims. They placed an ad in the newspaper asking for volunteers and they had an overwhelming response. They had many community members step up to help those in crisis. The first resource they created was the crisis hotline. That article is the reason AEDV has been able grow from one crisis hotline to operating a 51-bed shelter.

AEDV is able to help victims of both domestic and sexual violence. They have continued to have community support and many caring volunteers over the years. It is because of volunteers, AEDV has been able to support victims in Carson City for the past 40 years. If you are interested in volunteering, please reach out and join one of their teams. They offer training once a year; the next training will be spring 2020.

AEDV does not only offer shelter, but it has many other services for victims. It runs the Sexual Assault Response Advocates program advocating for survivors of sexual assault. It has advocates at the courthouse helping community members apply for temporary restraining orders and stalking/harassment orders. AEDV offers support groups three times a week for domestic violence victims.

Support groups are open to the community and there is child care provided. All support groups are free to those that attend. For more information about its services, please give them a call at 775-883-7654 or visit its website at www.aedv.org.