The Elmore County Domestic Violence Council hosted its first car show fundraiser, bringing together car enthusiasts and community members to support survivors of domestic violence across Elmore County. WATCH | How car show fundr aiser supports Elmore County domestic violence survivors Car show fundraiser supports Elmore County domestic violence survivorsThe council opened its shelter in 2019 and has since served 740 people. Program Director Katie Stinnett said the people they help are woven into the fabric of everyday life."The people we serve are, at the end of the day, community members, and they're people that we go to the store with. They're people that our kids go to school with," Stinnett said.The nonprofit relies on grants to fund its services, but Treasurer Emili Matthai said that funding has grown harder to come by."With kind of the climate right now, funding is a little difficult, so we have to kick up our game for fundraisers," Matthai said.ALSO READ | Idaho domestic violence shelter fights to keep families warm amid heating crisis and food shortagesThe event, called Cruisin' for a Cause, was the council's answer to that challenge a new way to engage the community while raising critical dollars.Money raised at the event goes directly toward meeting the everyday needs of people leaving unsafe situations. Last year, the council provided 229 hotel rooms to survivors, along with help paying for food, important documents, and transportation to appointments.Stinnett said every dollar raised stays focused on the people the council serves."We make sure that any money raised goes right back to our clients and helps us to better serve them in whatever it is that they need," Stinnett said.Stinnett also said visibility matters as much as the fundraising itself."I think it's important for everybody to be aware of who we are and what we do so that anybody has the opportunity to step in when they see something," Stinnett said.RELATED | Teen dating violence cases surge in Canyon County as advocates sound alarmCar show participants said they came out for more than just the vehicles. Jennifer Kisely said the event gave her family a meaningful way to give back."It's good because he can combine what he enjoys doing with just being able to support people in need and doing it in a way that we can," Kisely said.For some attendees, the cause was personal. Tiffanie Anderson said her family's experience with abuse made the event especially meaningful."So anytime I can support anything that's going to be able to prevent that in the future or maybe educate people, that is always an added bonus to a car show," Anderson said.You can support the Elmore County Domestic Violence Council here.This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. ...read more read less