Domestic violence awareness walk set for Saturday

People will come together Saturday morning to be part of the fourth annual Walk for Awareness in Havre, a domestic abuse awareness event part of national Domestic Violence Awareness month.

Signups will begin at 9 a.m. and people will began walking at 10 a.m. The route will begin at the intersection of First Street and Fifth Avenue. From there, participants will walk south on Fifth Avenue and take a right toward Northern Montana Hospital. Once at the hospital, the group will go back to First and Fifth, before dispersing, partakers will do a balloon release.

Director of the Domestic Abuse Program at District 4 Human Resources Development Center Kara Fox said that although they are not asking for donations, people can bring nonperishable items to donate to the Haven, a shelter for victims of domestic abuse.

Domestic violence, an uncomfortable issue that nobody likes to talk about, is a learned behavior that starts in the home, Fox said. Drugs and alcohol don't cause domestic violence, but they can escalate it.

Reasons as to why someone stays in an abusive relationship are many, Fox said. Some of the most common include that victims are financially dependent on the abuser, victims may have children with the abuser, victims fear they'll be dragged through court for custody or divorce hearings, they're too embarrassed to ask for help, they may fear threats of being hurt or worse, or they really believe their abuser loves them and they will change.

"We want the public to be aware of what services we offer and know where to refer someone if they're in an abusive relationship," Fox said.

Those services includes a 24-hour crisis Line - 265-2222 - emergency shelter, assistance with restraining orders, medical or law enforcement accompaniment, criminal justice support, emergency transportation, safety planning, support group for men and women, and violence intervention classes for men and women.

In 2016, the District 4 HRDC Domestic Abuse Program helped 315 victims of domestic or sexual violence, provided housing for 37 families, received 310 crisis calls, provided 838 nights of emergency shelter, provided emergency transportation to 93 individuals, provided 2,823 meals for women and children and helped with 136 temporary and permanent orders of protection, Fox said.