On Saturday, we had the pleasure of joining a sold-out crowd of fellow community members for Rise Above Violence’s annual Runway for Rise Recycled Fashion Gala.
And, like we are each year, we were blown away by the creativity of the teams in taking recycled, reused, thrifted and natural elements and putting creations that are nothing short of spectacular on the runway.
It was an evening of smiles, laughter, creativity and fun, and we were delighted to hear it was a record year in raising needed funds for the organization’s work.
Despite all of the amazing facets of last weekend’s fundraiser, we remain sad that Rise Above Violence — now in its 30th year — needs to exist at all.
But we’re so thankful it does.
We’re also sad that October needs to be Domestic Violence Awareness Month, but we’re grateful that it is.
The awareness and services provided during months like Domestic Violence Awareness Month and through organizations like Rise Above Violence are critical in making the issue smaller and helping there to be fewer victims in the future.
We are grateful here in Archuleta County to have had Rise Above Violence actively seeking to help lessen and erase domestic violence from our community — no small task — for 30 years and counting.
We applaud their work in aiding victims amidst crisis, helping empower them to make decisions about removing themselves from potentially dangerous situations, and in teaching youth (and adults) what healthy relationships look like and what abuse may look like.
And that’s not all they do.
Rise’s executive director, Carmen Lewis, stated Rise served 52 victims in its first year and has grown to serve an average of 400 victims annually.
To date, Rise has “provided life-saving services, support, and hope to 5,749 unduplicated victims – this means over one-third of our community has been individually served – a staggering testament to both the pervasiveness of domestic violence and the profound reach of this organization’s impact with thousands of lives forever changed through compassion, advocacy, and empowerment,” proclamations made this week by the county and town state.
I would venture a guess that many of us likely know someone who has sought services and/or received help from Rise in some capacity, which is sobering.
It will certainly take a series of changes, forms of educations and interventions to lessen domestic violence here and elsewhere, and we should each take a part in supporting those measures, as well as supporting victims of domestic violence.
As Rise has taught us, even saying “I believe you” can mean the world to someone facing fear and an unknown future.
If you’d like to help locally, visit www.riseaboveviolence.org for more information.
If you are in a crisis or need immediate support, dial 911. Rise’s 24-hour hotline can be reached at (970) 264-9075, and the National Domestic Violence Hotline can be reached at (800) 799-SAFE (7233). For a list of resources available throughout Colorado, visit www.violencefreecolorado.org.
Together, we can change this trend and make our community a safer place for everyone.
Randi Pierce
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