October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and the Capital Region has already hosted two events for survivors and their families.

The second annual Purple at the Plaza, a ceremony and vigil, was held Oct. 1 to begin the month. The 12th annual Domestic Violence Awareness Walk and Run followed on Oct. 3.

“It can happen to anyone,” said Ramona Ramos, a domestic violence case coordinator with the Albany Police Department.

Ramos co-founded the walk and run. She said she wants people to know about every resource available.

Nicole Dunbar said those resources could have saved her mother’s life.

Friday will mark 23 years since her mother, Millie Dunbar, was murdered by her husband, who was convicted. Nicole and her brother, Joe, have walked in the event every year since it began. They also host a fundraiser that has raised $35,000 over the last 12 years.

“Even if you think you can’t get away or you have doubts or you’re scared, there’s always an alternative out there,” Nicole Dunbar said.

She urged anyone in an abusive relationship to reach out for help.

“If you don’t have somebody you can confide in, you can always go to any type of non-for-profit, even the police department. I know that’s scary to some people, but there really are places and sources. And don’t be afraid to speak up or don’t be afraid to leave,” she said.

Becca Reynolds, who survived domestic violence as a child, said it doesn’t look the same for everyone.

“Domestic violence often escalates and it starts out as emotional abuse that may move to financial and then eventually get physical. And there are signs along the way that you might not be able to see,” Reynolds said.

The Albany Police Department recorded 2,566 domestic violence incidents from Jan. 1 through Sept. 29 this year. In the same period in 2025, it recorded 2,615 incidents.

Outside New York City, 55,471 people were victims of intimate partner violence in 2025, according to the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services. That includes 28,911 women, 8,587 men and 17,973 other family members.

The Second Community Day for Domestic Violence Awareness in Wappingers Falls will be held in memory of Melinda “Mindy” Brugger from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday at Schlauthaus Park. Brugger, a 54-year-old EMT and healthcare administrator, was killed by her husband at their home on Aug. 21, 2026, police say. Domestic violence organizations and community partners from five Hudson Valley counties will join together to support survivors, families and victims.

Where to find help

People experiencing domestic violence can contact the New York State Domestic and Sexual Violence Hotline at 800-942-6906 or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 (800-799-SAFE).