English
Spanish
Downtown Sonora is once again decked in ribbons of deep purple this October as the Center For A Non Violent Community (CNVC) led its fourth annual Paint the Town Purple campaign in honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
About 20 volunteers and staff from local agencies who work with survivors of intimate partner and family violence including CNVC, the Tuolumne County District Attorney’s Office/Victim Witness, Behavioral Health, and Tuolumne Me-Wuk Tribal Social Services gathered last Wednesday in Courthouse Square to put up purple ribbons, pinwheels, and signage along North and South Washington streets.
The color is striking against storefronts and lamp posts, but its meaning runs deeper: Purple is the national symbol of courage, survival, honor, and hope for those who have endured domestic violence.
“When we line our streets in purple, we are declaring that survivors are not invisible,” said Becca Simon, a member of the leadership team at CNVC. “We are declaring that we stand with them.”
Downtown Sonora businesses are also showing their support for survivors by hanging flyers and painting purple ribbons on their storefronts. The Armory has a special purple cocktail called the “Unbroken Bloom,” proceeds of which will benefit CNVC.
This year’s national theme is “With Survivors, Always | Con sobrevivientes, Siempre.” The theme is both a call to action and a promise to advocate for safety, provide consistent support, and build true solidarity.
Domestic violence continues to be a widespread crisis: More than 10 million people nationally experience physical abuse by an intimate partner each year. In California, over 40% of women and 32% of men will experience intimate partner violence in their lifetimes. In Tuolumne County, CNVC provided 5,917 services to 574 survivors in the past year alone.
For many of those survivors, the center’s confidential shelter is the difference between danger and safety. The four-bedroom home, tucked away in a safe location, provides emergency housing for individuals and families who are often fleeing for their lives. It has stood for decades as a beacon of refuge, but it is undergoing its first major renovation in nearly 50 years.
One of the most urgent upgrades is making the shelter accessible to people with disabilities. Plans are underway to renovate bathrooms and bring the space into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
“Every survivor deserves the same chance at safety, regardless of their physical abilities,” Simon said. “We cannot turn someone away simply because our building is not equipped for their needs.”
Looking ahead, the center also plans to expand the shelter by adding additional bedrooms. The need has never been greater.
“We receive calls every week from people who are facing lethal harm at the hands of an abuser,”advocate Aubreanna McNamara said. “Our greatest heartbreak is when every bed is full. No survivor should ever have to hear the words: ‘There’s no room.’ ”
The combined cost of the renovations and expansion is approximately $250,000.
In addition to emergency shelter, the center provides six transitional housing units, and when those are full, staff arrange hotel stays or work with partnering agencies or businesses, like hotels, to ensure survivors have a safe place to go.
“Housing is survival,” Jessi Abbott, direct services director at CNVC, said. “It is not only about a roof over your head, it is about breaking free from the cycle of fear.”
The shelter is just one piece of a broad network of free, confidential services offered by the center. Survivors can access peer counseling, support groups, case management, court accompaniment, assistance with restraining orders, bilingual and bicultural advocacy in Spanish, and support from Tuolumne County’s Sexual Assault Response Team. The center’s 24-hour crisis line is staffed every day, every hour, ensuring that when a survivor is ready to reach out, someone is always there to answer.
“Domestic violence is not a private matter — it is a community matter,” McNamara said. “By painting the town purple, we remind ourselves that ending violence requires all of us — neighbors, families, schools, businesses, and government — standing together.”
For nearly 50 years, CNVC has been Tuolumne County’s steadfast advocate for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. The work is not easy, but the vision is clear: A community free from violence, where survivors are believed, supported, and safe.
The center welcomes community support through donations of time, talent, and financial contributions.
“Every ribbon tied, every dollar given, every voice raised — these are the threads that weave safety nets for survivors,” Simon said.
To learn more or to get involved, go to nonviolentcommunity.org/get-involved or call the office at (209) 588-9305. If you or someone you know is in crisis, the 24/7 support line is available at (209) 533-3401.
