The month of October is nationally recognized as Domestic Violence Awareness Month (often shortened to ‘DVAM’), a time to unite our efforts in raising awareness around the warning signs of domestic violence and how to stop it.
For the past several years, REACH has celebrated the start of DVAM by hosting a Fall Festival for the local community of Waltham, MA (where REACH is based). This year’s 2025 Fall Festival was particularly memorable since it included our first ever ‘Reach Beyond the Finish Line’ 5k fundraiser, which as of this writing managed to raise just under $30,000 in support of survivors.
We asked those who participated in this year’s Fall Festival and 5k either as runners or as supporters/volunteers to share their thoughts on what DVAM means to them and why they choose to support organizations like REACH. With their permission, we’ve shared their answers below.
Gretchen von Mering – Fall Festival 5k Runner
Participating in the Reach Beyond the Finish Line 5k was more than a race for Gretchen Von Mering. Beginning in 1998, Gretchen endured physical, emotional, financial, and spiritual domestic violence. She drew on the support of her family and friends to leave her abuser in 2004, but emotional and financial abuse continued until her youngest child turned 18 in 2018.
"With support from friends and family, the children and I were able to lift ourselves out of domestic violence victimhood, to become first survivors, and are now thrivers," Gretchen said. This personal experience fuels Gretchen’s commitment to community, which includes years of volunteer work and fundraising for other survivors, and most recently, participating in REACH's 5k to help raise funds for our advocacy work.
Lily Fitzgerald – REACH/Fall Festival Volunteer
Even without the added leg work (both literally and metaphorically) of a 5k fundraiser, the Fall Festival requires a lot of behind-the-scenes logistics and planning to bring off the ground. Thankfully, REACH has a passionate and dedicated community of volunteers who never hesitate to step up when it comes time to organize an event such as the Fall Festival. Lily Fitzherald is one such volunteer, and we’re deeply thankful she was willing to help with both this year’s Fall Festival and the 5k.
“As a volunteer, most of the time I only experience one part of how REACH supports survivors. What I love about Fall Festival is that I get to see the whole picture of how REACH serves this community and works collaboratively to change the culture around domestic abuse. This year’s event was such an important reminder of how critical this work is.”
Julie Youdovin – Jewish Family & Children’s Services
The annual Fall Festival is also an excellent opportunity for community members to meet and connect with folks from other local nonprofit organizations. One such organization which has been a consistent supporter and attendee of the Fall Festival is the Jewish Family & Children’s Service which is also based in Waltham, MA. Julie Youdovin, a JF&CS member who attended this year’s festival, had these kind words to share:
"Fall Festival is such a great way to bring people together to build and support a healthier, safer, and more connected community. We so appreciate the opportunity to speak with attendees and representatives from other local organizations to learn more about what they care about and share what our program has to offer."
Sydney Carter – REACH Prevention Education Program Supervisor
The simple fact of the matter is that the Fall Festival wouldn’t exist, and certainly wouldn’t be as big of a success as it is year after year, without Sydney Carter, REACH’s Prevention Education Program Supervisor. Sydney’s unwavering commitment towards promoting REACH’s mission, educating others, and bringing like-minded communities together is reflected in the large turnout the Fall Festival brings in every single year. Thank you to Sydney for yet another successful Fall Festival, and for sharing her reflective words below.
"A dedicated group of community members, REACH volunteers, staff, and partners spent countless hours together to make this possible. They stood beside me through all the true chaos that comes with community organizing. This event is truly for the community, by the community. I wouldn’t have it any other way."
If you’d like to help REACH with our community organizing efforts, we encourage you to become a volunteer, or look into some of the other ways you can engage with your local community.
