October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and the Bay Area Women’s Center has several Community events planned.

Oct. 8 will kick off the month’s events with the annual Domestic Violence Awareness Walk and Candlelight Vigil.

The group will show community support for the victims and survivors of domestic violence with an Awareness Walk that begins at 5:30 p.m. at the FP Horak building.

The walk will proceed over Veteran’s Bridge to the Bay County Community Center where the vigil and program entitled, “These are Our Stories”, which will begin at 6 p.m., followed by a Survivor’s Speak Out.

The women’s center said refreshments will be served.

Other events include:

Hands Are Not for Hitting T-Shirt workshops are scheduled for children to design a free T-shirt by painting their palms and applying them to a t-shirt pre-printed with the words “Hands Are Not For Hitting.”

Workshops will be held on:

Oct. 1 from 3:30 to 6 p.m. at McDonald’s, M-13, AuGres

Oct. 11 from noon to 3 p.m. at The Pumpkin Farm, M-13, Standish

Oct. 15 from 4 to 7 p.m. at Burger King, Wilder Rd., Bay City

Oct. 23 from 4 – 7 p.m. at McDonald’s, S. Euclid Ave., Bay City

Oct. 29 from 4 – 7 p.m. at McDonald’s, Center Ave., Essexville

The Clothesline Project is a national program started in 1990 to address the issue of violence against women.

It gives survivors an opportunity to leave behind some of their pain on a shirt-canvas. The shirts are hung on a clothesline to be viewed by others as testimony to the problem of violence against women.

Displays are scheduled for:

Oct. 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Bay Regional Medical Center, Bay City

Oct. 21 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at St. Mary’s Hospital, Standish

Oct. 22 from 4 – 7 p.m. at the YWCA, Bay City