Sonoma proclaims October 2025 Domestic Violence Awareness Month; YWCA Sonoma County receives proclamation

Mayor Patricia Farrar Rivas read a proclamation designating October 2025 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month for the City of Sonoma and presented it to Stacy Quistoni, domestic violence services manager for YWCA Sonoma County, during the Sept. 29 council meeting.

Quistoni described YWCA Sonoma County as the county’s primary domestic-violence service provider and gave local service statistics. "On average, the YWCA Sonoma County serves approximately 3,000 individuals in need per year," Quistoni said. She added that the client population served by the YWCA is "90% female, 51% identify as Hispanic, Latinx, 23% are children, and 4% are seniors," and that 14% of clients who come to the shelter are homeless at intake.

Quistoni also told the council that Sonoma County experienced six incidents of domestic violence resulting in the loss of life for 15 individuals so far that year, a rise she contrasted with prior years.

Why it matters: The proclamation is a formal recognition by the city to raise awareness of domestic violence and to highlight local services, including the YWCA’s 24/7 crisis hotline and confidential shelter. The YWCA said it remains the county’s only 24/7 domestic-violence hotline and only confidential safe-house shelter.

Provenance - topicintro: Mayor introduces the proclamation and invites a YWCA representative to accept it. (transcript timestamp s:1080.065) - topfinish: YWCA representative Stacy Quistoni concludes remarks and thanks the council. (transcript timestamp s:1383.075)

Speakers - Patricia Farrar Rivas — Mayor of the City of Sonoma (read the proclamation) - Stacy Quistoni — Domestic Violence Services Manager, YWCA Sonoma County (accepted proclamation and presented statistics)

Authorities []

Actions [{"kind":"other","identifiers":{},"motion":"Proclamation designating October 2025 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month in the City of Sonoma","mover":"Patricia Farrar Rivas","second":"not specified","vote_record":[],"tally":{},"outcome":"approved","notes":"Mayor read and presented proclamation; accepted by YWCA representative; no separate roll-call vote recorded in transcript."}]

Clarifying_details [{"category":"YWCA clients served","detail":"YWCA Sonoma County serves approximately 3,000 individuals per year","value":3000,"units":"persons","approximate":true,"source_speaker":"Stacy Quistoni"},{"category":"YWCA client demographics","detail":"Client population: 90% female; 51% Hispanic/Latinx; 23% children; 4% seniors; 14% homeless at shelter intake","value":"not applicable","units":"percent","approximate":true,"source_speaker":"Stacy Quistoni"},{"category":"local fatalities","detail":"Reported six incidents of domestic violence resulting in 15 fatalities in the year to date","value":15,"units":"persons","approximate":false,"source_speaker":"Stacy Quistoni"}]

Proper_names [{"name":"Patricia Farrar Rivas","type":"person"},{"name":"Stacy Quistoni","type":"person"},{"name":"YWCA Sonoma County","type":"organization"}]

community_relevance {"geographies":["Sonoma County","City of Sonoma"],"funding_sources":[],"impact_groups":["survivors of domestic violence","children","low-income households"]}

meeting_context {"engagement_level":{"speakers_count":2,"duration_minutes":30,"items_count":1},"implementation_risk":"none","history":[{"date":"1976","note":"YWCA Sonoma County established; referenced in proclamation."}]}

searchable_tags ["domestic violence","proclamation","YWCA","public services"]

provenance {"transcript_segments":[{"block_id":"s1080.065","local_start":0,"local_end":85,"evidence_excerpt":"Moving on to our presentations for this evening, and the first 1 is actually a very important proclamations designating the month of October 2025 as domestic violence awareness month in the city of Sonoma.","global_start":1080,"global_end":1165,"tc_start":"00:18:00","tc_end":"00:19:30","reason_code":"topicintro"},{"block_id":"s1381.855","local_start":0,"local_end":90,"evidence_excerpt":"On average, the YWCA Sonoma County serves approximately 3,000 individuals in need per year with trauma informed community focused services. Our client population is 90% female, 51% identify as Hispanic, Latinx, 23% are children, and 4% are seniors.","global_start":1381,"global_end":1471,"tc_start":"00:23:01","tc_end":"00:24:20","reason_code":"topicfinish"}] } ,