Domestic Abuse Intervention Programs (DAIP)

09/10/2026

We remember Dale Henry Spry and Muse Abdi Afrah, the fifteenth and sixteenth confirmed victims of domestic violence-related homicide in Minnesota in 2026.

Dale Henry Spry was a father to two children. He graduated from North Community High School and served in the Army. He was described as “a big part of the Native American community and the Northside Minneapolis community.” Muse Abdi Afrah previously lived in Tennessee and was described as “a well known man, a nice man.” Multiple people described him as their childhood friend and “like a brother” to them. We remember Dale and Muse.

Learn more here: https://www.vfmn.org/we-remember-2026

GoFundMe to support Dale's family and his burial services: https://www.gofundme.com/f/honor-dale-henry-spry

GoFundMe to support Carlton Johnson's ex-girlfriend, who was shot in front of their daughter and survived: https://gofund.me/c76d6a8af

09/08/2026

We remember Janelle Marie Swenson, the fourteenth confirmed victim of domestic violence-related homicide in Minnesota in 2026.

Janelle Marie Swenson worked as a Direct Support Professional at Orion Corporation and Environmental Services at Essentia Health. Her loved ones shared, “She had a tenacious personality, never letting a horse win after being bucked off. Janelle always got back on.” She loved hunting, fishing, riding motorcycles, canning vegetables, and gardening, and lived by her faith. She leaves behind her husband, three children, and two new grandbabies. We remember Janelle Marie Swenson.

Learn more here: https://www.vfmn.org/we-remember-2026

GoFundMe to support Janelle's family:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-janelles-family-cover-expenses-after-her-loss

09/03/2026

Thank you, Gloria, for showing the world what it means to speak up for women’s equality. Thank you for fighting for our rights so that every woman and every person can live with dignity, freedom, and equality.

09/03/2026

08/20/2026

We remember Alice Brown, Kristen Brown, and Evie Brown, the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth confirmed victims of domestic violence homicide in Minnesota in 2026.

Alice Brown was “the kindest and most loving; a gardener who loved to walk.” Kristen Brown was “an amazing mother; an amazing businesswoman; funny and witty.” She opened Brown Bear Daycare after giving birth to Evie in 2018, and wrote often of her passion for caring for children. Evie was “a natural leader,” and she loved rainbows and sparkles. We remember Alice, Kristen, and Evie.

Learn more here: https://www.vfmn.org/we-remember-2026

08/03/2026

We remember Janelle Lea Carlson, the tenth confirmed victim of intimate partner homicide in Minnesota in 2026.

Janelle’s loved ones shared that she loved nature and going on walks; butterflies; and painting. She loved vanilla ice cream, and “the little things” made her happy. We remember Janelle Lea Carlson.

Learn more here: https://www.vfmn.org/we-remember-2026

07/28/2026

07/22/2026

We remember Carla Olson, the ninth confirmed victim of intimate partner homicide in Minnesota in 2026.

Carla’s family said she was “an amazing person who loved her children and grandchildren.” They shared, “She was our family’s rock and always the voice of reason. The most patient soul I’ve ever known. Her loss has affected many.”

Learn more here: https://www.vfmn.org/we-remember-2026

06/30/2026

“There is no greater challenge for any social movement than to live the vision of the change it seeks.” – Pence, E. In Our Best Interest – A Process for Personal and Social Change. Domestic Abuse Intervention Programs, 1987.

After several years of facilitating survivor support groups, DAIP developed the Culture Wheel in the early 1990s to illustrate the connections between individuals’ experiences of intimate partner violence and the broader institutional and cultural contexts that can either enable or prevent it. Today, advocacy programs around the world use this graphic to help survivors unpack their personal experiences in the context of larger social systems. In our work to support change with those who commit domestic violence, the Culture Wheel highlights the necessity of also engaging in community and institutional advocacy to bring an end to intimate partner violence. To learn more, go to: https://www.theduluthmodel.org/product/best-interest-working-battered-women-curriculum-package/