October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and Sanctuary, Incorporated offering several ways to support victims and those supporting victims.
Sanctuary offers a safe place to stay for victims of domestic violence in the nine-county Pennryile region and their children and is funded through a combination of grants and donations from the community.
Executive Director Heather Lancaster says one of the more fun aspects of the month is a pet costume contest.
She notes that victims of domestic violence are often hesitant to leave their abuser because of fear of what may happen to their pets and Sanctuary is thankful for a partnership with a boarder to keep those cats and dogs safe until their owner has regained independent housing.
Sanctuary’s annual Lotus Release ceremony will be virtual again this year and will be at 3 p.m. Wednesday on their social media outlets.
Lancaster says they are also promoting their “Friends of Sanctuary” program this year, as it has replaced the discontinued annual dinner as their largest fundraiser.