YWCA Mohawk Valley will bring Take Back the Night to Rome City Hall on Thursday, October 22, from 6 to 8 p.m., following a gathering in Utica that brought survivors, advocates and community members together against domestic violence.
The Rome event will include a march, a survivor speak-out and a candlelight vigil honoring people lost to domestic violence, according to the organization’s October awareness-month calendar.
Utica gathering honored survivors and those lost
The Utica event took place Tuesday, October 20, at City Hall. WKTV reported that survivors, families who had lost loved ones, advocates and other supporters attended.
The program included a half-mile rally and march, domestic-violence displays and a candlelight vigil. YWCA Mohawk Valley CEO Dianne Stancato told the station that the gathering gave survivors space to connect with advocates and others with similar experiences and to feel heard.
The events are part of the YWCA’s Week Without Violence activities, running October 19 through 23, and its broader Domestic Violence Awareness Month programming.
Take Back the Night in Rome: when and where
- Date: Thursday, October 22, 2026.
- Time: 6 to 8 p.m.
- Location: Rome City Hall.
- Organizer: YWCA Mohawk Valley.
- Program: March, survivor speak-out and candlelight vigil.
The organizer invites community members to attend, listen to survivors and take part in the remembrance. Its event description also offers survivors the opportunity to share their own stories. Readers can check the YWCA’s event page for updates before heading out.
Local support is available around the clock
People seeking help do not have to wait for an awareness event. YWCA Mohawk Valley’s official services page lists a free, confidential, 24-hour crisis line for domestic and sexual violence services in Oneida County: call or text 315-797-7740.
The organization provides safety planning, advocacy, support groups, counseling, referrals and residential crisis services. It says its crisis services are available regardless of when abuse occurred or whether it was reported.
In Herkimer County, the YWCA lists 315-866-4120 as a call-only line for child advocacy and adult sexual violence crisis services. The scope of that line differs from the Oneida County service.
For non-crisis questions about the organization or its events, the YWCA lists its office number as 315-732-2159. Anyone facing immediate danger should call 911.
Images: Original editorial illustrations created for the Utica Phoenix. The featured candle is symbolic, not a photograph from either event. Dates and service information were checked against YWCA Mohawk Valley’s website on October 21, 2026.
