On a Thursday evening in early October, Grinnell Plaza will glow purple. The Sheridan Advocacy and Resource Center is hosting "Make the Night Bright," a new community gathering that begins at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 8. Participants will walk together carrying purple lights, an awareness walk meant to honor victims of domestic violence and celebrate those who have survived it, while marking October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
The event is free and open to anyone. Along with the walk, attendees will find information about the support resources available in Sheridan County, a reminder that help exists close to home. Assistant Director Rhonda Weber said the evening is intended to bring the community together and to remind survivors they do not have to face abuse alone.
That message carries particular weight in a small city where the organization behind the walk has quietly become a cornerstone. The Sheridan Advocacy and Resource Center offers comprehensive support to victims of violent crimes across Sheridan County, including emergency shelter, a 24-hour crisis line, legal advocacy, counseling, and housing support. Its advocates help people navigate the criminal justice process, obtain protection orders, and communicate with law enforcement and prosecutors. They also assist with food, transportation, and other basic necessities for people leaving dangerous situations.
The center's reach is broader than the phrase "domestic violence" might suggest. Executive Director Yvonne Shirey has said the organization works not only with victims of domestic and family violence but also with survivors of sexual assault, stalking, non-domestic assaults, and other violent crimes. The need is steady. Earlier this year, staff reported a notable uptick in clients seeking help, a trend that echoed a broader national pattern in which domestic violence tends to rise around the holidays and during the summer months. Shirey said she found no clear explanation for that particular increase.
The choice of purple is not arbitrary. Purple has long been associated with bravery, and in recent years landmarks, businesses, and neighborhoods across the country have gone purple each October to signal solidarity with survivors. The lights carried through Grinnell Plaza will join that larger, nationwide display.
Grinnell Plaza itself is a fitting setting. Located in the heart of downtown Sheridan, the street is designed to function as a public plaza during special events, from farmers markets to community gatherings. It sits just off North Main Street in the city's historic downtown, a short walk from the Museum at the Bighorns. On an October night, the plaza's open space will become a place for neighbors to stand together rather than a thoroughfare to pass through.
For an organization whose work often happens behind closed doors, in shelters and on crisis calls, the walk is an unusual chance to be visible. The center's mission is to provide emotional support and empowerment to victims of violent crime, and much of that labor is confidential by necessity. A public procession of purple lights offers something different: a shared, outward sign that the community sees both the people it has lost and the people who have made it through.
Weber framed the evening as an act of togetherness, a way to make sure no survivor feels isolated. The event is scheduled to run from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Grinnell Plaza in Sheridan.
For anyone who needs assistance, the Sheridan Advocacy and Resource Center can be reached at 307-672-3222, extension 1, or through its website. In an emergency, call 911 or notify the Sheridan Police Department at 307-672-2413.