What we’ve been up to!
On Friday, February 28, 2025 the RNEDV held a Legislative and Stakeholder Breakfast in Greenfield. Attendees came from Boston, the Berkshires, and from Franklin, Hampshire and Worcester counties to discuss how rural community-based task forces are working on preventing and ending domestic violence, the need for funding to support community engagement, and the need for state policies that integrate the voices of rural communities.
Here are some pictures from the event, as well as the PowerPoint for the event, and RNEDV Recommendations for Making Rural Communities Safer
In April and February 2025, the Ware River Valley DV Task Force and the Ware High School DV Task Force visited all lunch periods for grades 7-12. Students spun a wheel with various questions and then wrote answers to the questions below. They got www.loveisrespect cause bracelets for their participation. We also walked around the lunchroom and gave out “I ask for consent” pens and pins, and gave our bookmarks with QR codes to quizzes from https://www.loveisrespect.org/search-our-resources/ This was an easy project that didn’t ask too much from the school except to set up a table for us.
In February 2025, the Southern Hilltown DV Task Force sponsored a training on the new MA Coercive Control Law for task force and community members. Esther Tutu from Community Legal Aid did the training. In March, the Ware River Valley DV Task Force held a similar training. Attendees practiced filling out an affidavit after the training – an eye-opening experience for everyone.
Gardner Domestic Violence Task Force visits the High School in February 2025 . . .
Gardner, Ware River Valley, and Southern Hilltowns Task Forces all held Vigils or Walks in October 2025
Southern Hills, October 24, 2025
Gardner DV Task Force Vigil, October 10, 2024
Ware River Valley, 9th Annual DV Walk, October 19, 2024
Southern Hills, Ware, and Gardner DV Task Forces use local community members in their outreach ads. Below are some of the ads we all use on an on-going basis . . .