Coos Bay council proclaims October Domestic Violence Awareness Month and Indigenous Peoples' Day

The Coos Bay City Council on an evening meeting adopted two proclamations: one designating October 2024 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month and another recognizing Oct. 14, 2024, as Indigenous Peoples' Day.

Rachel Espy, who identified herself as a SAFE Project representative and spoke to the council, told members the agency provided services to 753 survivors in 2023 (735 adults and 18 youth), delivered more than 4,090 shelter bed nights and roughly 12,000 meals, and logged over 4,190 instances of emotional-support or safety-planning services. "We provided over 4,090 bed nights," Espy said, summarizing the shelter workload. The council moved and unanimously approved the domestic-violence proclamation.

Julie Seastrom, a tribal council member of the Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians, read the Indigenous Peoples' Day proclamation, which acknowledges the traditional homelands of local tribes, endorses the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and invites the community to reflect on indigenous histories and cultures. The council moved and approved the Indigenous Peoples' Day proclamation without recorded opposition.

Both proclamations were presented as symbolic affirmations of the city's support for local service providers and tribal communities. The SAFE Project was highlighted as a local sheltered-service provider and the council encouraged residents to participate in scheduled awareness activities and local cultural events.

The council's formal action: unanimous adoption of both proclamations. No further council directives or budgetary commitments were recorded at the meeting.