By Tabitha Schaub-Carter, Branch Librarian
October is recognized as Domestic Violence Awareness Month to unite advocates across the nation in the efforts to end Domestic Violence. Here in Kent County, we are lucky to have the Domestic Violence Action Network (DVAN); a collective of partners including nonprofits, government agencies, business leaders, survivors and community members dedicated to improving our community’s response to Domestic Violence.
DVAN reports that annually, law enforcements agencies in Kent County respond to more than 2,500 incidents of intimate partner domestic violence. DVAN also states that more than half of Domestic Violence (DV) incidents are never reported to law enforcement, so the actual number of DV incidents in the county is likely twice that number.
Domestic Violence is a major public health crisis with wide-ranging effects on housing stability, mental health and the welfare of children. DVAN exists to inspire a comprehensive community-wide response to this deadly violence using a collective impact model to advance community-driven strategies, identify system gaps and foster cross-sector collaboration.
Services that DVAN offers include Legal Help, Immigrant & Refugee Support, Services for Children & Teens, Services for Native Americans, Domestic Violence Help, Services for Abusive Partners, as well as a fifty-six page long informational guide for Survivors of Relationship Abuse.
In addition, DVAN also hosts an annual Candlelight Vigil in honor of those who have lost their lives to domestic violence, support survivors and renew their commitment to ending abuse. The vigil will be held on Tuesday, October 13th at the Blue Footbridge in Grand Rapids from 5:00 - 6:30 PM. More information can be found here.
If you would like to learn more, you can check out our curated booklist about Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
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