BILLINGS, Mt. — Billings city officials are coming together to tackle domestic violence from multiple angles, with the city's task force focused on finding solutions for victims while Angela's Piazza works to ensure survivors and those lost to violence are not forgotten.
For Alicia Leary, healing didn't come easy.
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"I was in an abusive relationship. Unfortunately, things escalated to the point where I felt like I needed protection," Leary said Tuesday.
She found the courage to leave, but says ending that relationship was only the beginning.
"When you're trying to leave a domestic violence situation, often the abuse is ramped up, and it can be the scariest time to leave," Leary said.
She sought an order of protection and turned to the courts. What followed, she says, was nearly a year of process.
"The re-traumatization, having to relive these events over and over and over again, and just simply how long it takes to go through the court system with these kind of issues," Leary said. "It's really hard to move on, and it's really hard to heal".
Her story carries extra meaning during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, when supporters gathered in Billings with candles in hand to honor lives lost and those still fighting.
"We're slowly starting to talk about it more, and there are more people that are aware that there are organizations like Angela's Piazza that are here to help and offer services," said Cassie King with Angela's Piazza, a drop-in center.
King says open conversations, and efforts like the city's domestic violence task force, are helping break the stigma.
"I think a big part of what the task force is doing is removing that stigma, making it possible for women to bring these concerns, bring their stories, bring what's happened to them forward and be heard and believed," King said.
The task force met through the summer. Mayor Mike Nelson says funding, support and resources rose to the top.
"City Council has become more determined and more focused on doing the things that government can do to alleviate the problem or at least to respond to the problem correctly and with some vigor," Nelson said.
For Leary, support from Angela's Piazza helped her rebuild. Now, she's paying that support forward.
"I can't put, words can't describe the amount of support that I've received here from Cassie and her Tuesday night support groups," Leary said.
Now, she's paying that support forward.
"To be able to be somebody's support when you're not related to them, you're not friends with them, I think is really special," Leary said.
