Fort Wainwright advocates will staff domestic violence outreach booths Oct. 23 and 30

Army Community Service at Fort Wainwright will staff a domestic violence outreach booth at the Main Exchange on Fridays, Oct. 23 and Oct. 30, from 11 am to 1 pm, for Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

The booth is run by the Family Advocacy Program team: program specialist Eldotha Fields and domestic abuse victim advocates Susan Hesser and Toney Price.

"This year, as in any other year, we'd like to spotlight those survivors," Fields said. "We'd like to spotlight those people that we might have lost to domestic violence."

The team says domestic abuse goes beyond physical violence. It also includes emotional manipulation, financial control, digital abuse and threats involving pets. Advocates help people recognize concerns, connect with confidential resources and make informed decisions about their next steps.

"Our main goal is to make sure that we can provide the resources that they need, so they can make their own decisions," Price said.

The team works with the Interior Alaska Women's Center and the Fairbanks Native Association to extend resources on and off the installation.

The program runs a 24/7 victim advocacy hotline at 907-799-9770. Its office is on the second floor of the Fort Wainwright Welcome Center, Building 3401 on Santiago Ave.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy's Domestic Violence Awareness Month proclamation says 20% of Alaskan adults report experiencing intimate partner violence. It says intimate partner violence was tied to 17% of the state's homicides from 2014 to 2023, and it cites the Alaska Criminal Justice Data Analysis Commission's 2025 report finding domestic violence in 26% of all criminal cases.