The Des Moines County Board of Supervisors on June 7, 2025, unanimously approved a proclamation designating October 2025 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month after a presentation by local victim‑advocacy representatives.

The proclamation recognizes the prevalence and harms of domestic violence and encourages county support for victim‑survivors and prevention efforts.

Jennifer Bailey, domestic violence services coordinator for the Domestic Violence Intervention Program, presented outreach plans and community events and urged residents to support supply drives and donations. “October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month,” Bailey said, and she described a local “shock for shelter” event planned for the following day at a Burlington Hy‑Vee location to collect needed items for survivors.

Bailey told the board that for the Des Moines County fiscal year 2025 reporting period there were 321 reported domestic‑violence incidents in Burlington, that the program served 341 individuals and that it provided 3,111 distinct services to survivors. She said the program staffed a 24‑hour crisis line and also maintains a confidential emergency shelter (with a pet‑sheltering arrangement at a separate facility near Iowa City) and offers legal, law‑enforcement and social‑service coordination.

Board members approved the proclamation by voice vote. Following the vote, advocates posed for photographs with supervisors and left event flyers for distribution.

The proclamation notes national and local impacts of intimate‑partner violence and calls for continued partnership among municipalities, criminal justice, health and human services, faith communities and volunteers to support survivors.

The county will file the proclamation with the auditor’s office and county communications staff said they will share event and donation information provided by advocates.