Break The Silence

We all know by now that October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, right?  It may have been mentioned once or twice on the blog.  I've been trying to be involved as possible at raising awareness for this important cause.  I started out the month by attending a candlelight vigil at a local hospital.  It wasn't really well publicized, but there was still a nice little turn out.  I'm hoping this event continues and grows each year! Sorry for the grainy photos, but candlelight and nighttime does not make for ideal iPhone photos.  

The hospital staff member who was responsible for organizing this event was great!  She clearly believes in the cause and spreading the word, so I believe she will be a great ally in the community!

I kept thinking about what I could to help out our agency.  Times have been really tough for us financially, with one position's funding being completely lost a few months ago and expensive renovations at our shelter this past year.  I knew the Instagram community would come through for me, so I organized an online auction.  I had so many amazing donations and am so touched by everyone's kindness and generosity.  The auction is actually open until Wednesday evening, so if you are on Instagram, head over to my shop account (@thethriftydoll) to bid on  amazing fabric, sweet vintage goodies, and amazing handmade items!  Here is just a small sampling of some of the items available-

So although there are only a few days left in October, please keep in mind that domestic violence is a problem that deserves attention every month.  It affects more people than you would probably guess and knows absolutely no boundaries of race, economic status, age, or background.  Now get on some purple, take to the streets, and break the silence about domestic violence!