BOZEMAN — The next time you find yourself at a bar or brewery around the Gallatin Valley, pick up your drink and see if you have a coaster from Haven under it. Because the local nonprofit has been handing them out to raise awareness for domestic violence.
“Sometimes talking about these things can be really uncomfortable. But it doesn’t have to be,” says Sarah MacDonald.
Sarah and her husband own Mountains Walking Brewery. In what little spare time she has, Sarah volunteers with Haven, a local nonprofit that supports survivors of domestic violence.
Sarah tells me she began volunteering five years ago after a close friend was involved in an abusive situation.
“I really wish that I could be there for her, to help her. But we live in different countries. So, I decided you know, I'm just going to volunteer with Haven because I can at least help people here,” says Sarah.
Since Mountains Walking opened in 2017, they’ve done multiple collaborations with Haven, including pint nights, holiday giving trees, and now? Displaying informative coasters.
“With this coaster initiative, we’re putting the issue right in front of people. Where they have a beer, right?” says Bailey Brubaker, the community engagement coordinator for Haven.
“The coasters are really cool because on the front, it says ‘Gallatin County says no to violence.' And then on the back side is actually the Power and Control Wheel."
A diagram to teach people about the tactics an abusive partner uses to keep their victim in a relationship.
Bailey tells me it’s not just Mountains Walking using these coasters.
“All of the bars in the Gallatin Valley have been so down with this initiative. We’ve hit Big Sky, Bozeman, Belgrade, Manhattan, and Three Forks. And I could've used at least 5,000 more coasters."
Bailey tells me originally, Haven had 1,000 coasters, paid for by their domestic violence response team. Until?
“Some volunteers were like, ‘We need more.’ And I was like, ‘Absolutely! Let's get more coasters, guys!’” says Bailey.
Through donations from volunteers, Haven was able to give out 3,000 coasters. The first batch was given to Beehive Basin Brewing last week, and the final batch to Mountains Walking Wednesday afternoon.
“I think it’s nice because it’s a little bit in your face without being too much in your face,” says Sarah. “You know, the more we talk about it? The more we make people aware of it. And understand that it’s something that's out there. And it may reach somebody, and be able to help somebody”.
