MISSOULA — While October is the month for spreading domestic violence awareness, one local organization, YWCA Missoula, works year-round to provide shelter and safety for anyone experiencing abuse.
Emma Quick knows this firsthand. At just 19 years old, she was in an abusive relationship.
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"I didn't realize that my situation was even considered abusive," Quick said.
At first, Quick said she tried to brush off the behavior, but the severity of the encounters continued to escalate.
"If he got mad and broke my things and I just played it off as it was the alcohol's fault," she said.
Eventually, the situation reached a point where Quick needed help- at 22 years old, she lived in the YWCA shelter for three months.
"The last night that I was there, he had taken out a gun and sat by the door so I couldn’t leave."
Through her therapist, Quick learned about the YWCA Missoula and its resources such as the crisis line and available shelter.
“I actually met here in this room and spoke about my situation and, I just kept telling myself reasons of why I wouldn't qualify to be here because he hadn't hit me and because I had food and because I had a place to stay and none of it just felt like it was deep enough or abusive enough in my brain," she said.
Shelters like the YWCA help individuals know what their options are in times of distress.
"Last year we had nearly 200 adults and children stay with us at our domestic violence shelter," Becky Margolis, the YWCA's communications manager, said. "For a total of 9400 nights of shelter that were provided to them."
The YWCA works all year long to help people in crisis whether through its short-term emergency shelter, case management, or funding for rental assistance.
"You don't actually have to be in like an active crisis to reach out," Margolis said. "If you just have a question about your relationship, wondering if it's healthy or unhealthy or you're concerned maybe about a friend or a family member, you can call that number anytime."
She added the YWCA focuses on getting the survivor to immediate safety and later helping them make a long-term plan.
October may highlight the issue, but the conversation should never stop.
"When we don't talk about it, it grows more, it thrives in secrecy and darkness," Quick said.
YWCA Missoula's 24-hour crisis line is (406)542-1944. You can learn more about the organization's resources and services by visiting their website.
