Mayor Ken Tedford declared October 2022 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month by presenting the proclamation to the Fallon Domestic Violence Intervention staff on Tuesday morning in a ceremony that included dying the Maine Street fountain purple.
The proclamation recognized that in just one day in the United States and its territories, nearly 70,032 victims of domestic violence sought services from shelters, and on that same day, more than 9,444 requests for emergency shelter, housing, transportation, child care, and legal representation could not be provided because the Domestic Violence programs lacked the resources to meet victims' needs.
The proclamation also recognized that in Fallon 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have experienced some form of physical violence by an intimate partner. From July 2021 through June 2022, the Fallon Domestic Violence Intervention office provided over 2,533 services to local victims. Housing is the most urgent need of survivors of this form of violence, and the Fallon DVI office provided emergency shelter or safe housing nights for 173 victims during that time.
The Fallon office provides DVI services for both Churchill and Lyon counties. Karen R. Moessner, Executive Director of DVI for 12 years said, “Housing is the biggest challenge we have for all of our clients this year because we only provide emergency services like motel nights. There's only one shelter here in Churchill for both counties, and it's only a 9-bed emergency shelter for two-week stays. After that, we just struggle to find relatives for them to stay with or they need to move. Rents are way too high, and there's nothing to rent. Fallon is slipping way behind on apartments needed, and no one is building apartments here. But Fernley is building a huge complex which was started a couple years ago. Survivors are supposed to go to the top of the subsidized rental housing lists, but that is not happening, and we brought that issue to the Governor's Round-table meetings. In an intimate partnership that shares a rental, and where the victim doesn't make as much money as the abuser, the victim is evicted, and they keep the abuser. Very sad. There is one approved apartment project in Churchill County but that is a couple of years away from being ready for occupancy.”
Carin Gomes, Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Advocate said, “Think about it. In a single-parent household, trying to pay the bills, go to work, raise their children, and then pay $2,200 per month plus the security deposit to get out of an abusive relationship. They can't do it.” When discussing the number of shelter services provided this year she said, “Motel nights are going down a little bit, but bed nights are going up which means more people staying at the shelter. We do three emergency motel nights, then we can do the shelter 'safe nights' when it's available.”
Moessner described their other awareness projects. “Besides the proclamation, we have the clothesline project at Millennium Park and our flag. We are also doing the Hands are Not for Hitting project, the purple hands on the school bus and that will be running the last week of October. The bus travels around to all of the schools and it will be at the Truck or Treat event at Venturacci Park on October 29.”
DVI's victim services include emergency transportation, emergency shelter, emergency food and clothing, shelter program, support groups, peer counseling, and safety planning. Referrals are also available for legal assistance, counseling services, Churchill County Social Services, housing, clothing, and food.
Per their website, https://www.dvifallon.org/ DVI, Inc., is a community-based, non-profit organization that focuses on helping adult victims of domestic violence and their children. Their office at 37 South Maine Street is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and their 24/7 Crisis Hotline is 775-427-1500. They also provide a weekly support group that meets at the office every Tuesday at 6 p.m.
The City of Fallon is committed to supporting victims of domestic violence, and the programs and agencies that aid them. Raising public awareness in town sends a clear message to abusers that domestic violence will not be tolerated in Fallon. The proclamation further encourages the community to actively participate with the Fallon DVI organization to work toward eliminating domestic violence.
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