BILLINGS — October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and the Northern Lights Family Justice Center raised awareness for victims of domestic violence through “Project Clothesline” on the Yellowstone County Courthouse lawn Friday and SATURDAY.

Northern Lights is Billings’ premier justice center and works to provide resources to victims of abuse, trafficking, sexual assault and domestic violence. They are currently located in the YWCA building at 909 Wyoming Ave.

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“All these services, a lot of people don’t even know they’re here, and the services that are here are so spread out a lot of the time that it’s really inconvenient for the victims, so this brings it all together into one.” ” said Northern Lights Coordinator Taya Keith.

The justice center introduced a new project to Billings. The “Clothesline Project” is a national effort to shine a light on these victims. Anyone could hang up message-decorated T-shirts with the names and messages of the people involved, whether it was themselves or someone they knew.

“The idea behind this is that in the 1950s you often hung your clothes on a clothesline to dry, mostly women, if they found themselves in a really scary situation , were sharing messages through the fence or whatever on the clothesline,” Keith said.

More than a dozen people shared messages of encouragement and empowerment over the weekend.

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“There was a girl who said that a member of her family was killed because of domestic violence, so I’m happy that these people see that and know that we are here to support them,” the volunteer said. Kristi Bice. “People can see that visual of like these are real humans. These are people that this happened to.”

Along the sidewalk, wooden silhouettes of women displayed printed stories of women killed by violence in the community for people to read.

“It’s just shocking. I think it’s important for people to see this and understand that this happens every day. Many people are unaware of it or choose to ignore it, and we need to stop doing that,” Bice said.

It’s a problem both women see constantly. Each year, nearly 60% of crimes reported in Billings are linked to domestic violence. According to the Montana Department of JusticeSince 2021, in the state of Montana, there have been 248 deaths due to intimate partner homicide. Seventy-three percent of the victims were women and firearms made up 58% of the murder weapons.

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“In our community, it’s very prevalent. It’s here. Everyone has been affected in some way, whether you recognize it or not,” Keith said.

The issue of domestic violence is one that Keith has touched upon herself. She joined the organization earlier this year and has worked to make sure victims know they have a place to turn.

“I have been personally affected by domestic violence,” Keith said. “I feel like so many women like me downplay it. It’s something that has really been swept under the rug for so long. Being able to stand up for not only myself but others is something that I feel strongly about. really passionate.

The cause is also personal for Bice. As a survivor of child sexual abuse, she struggled to obtain resources. She now works to help others get out of similar situations.

“A lot of people didn’t support me, didn’t believe my story and worked against me in this process,” Bice said. “I want other survivors to know that there are resources available. There are people who will hear you and I believe you and I want to help you.

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Both women hope that their work with the organization and the Clothesline Project will help raise awareness of these issues and let other women know that there is still hope to be had.

“It’s important to me that everyone knows that you have a choice, but knowing that there is support and there are other people like you and it can be better,” Keith said .

If you or someone you love has been a victim of domestic violence, please seek help by visiting Northern Lights website or by calling their 24-hour hotline at 406-245-4472.