This year, we decided to start October a little bit differently—to get in on the spirit and celebrate what the month represents. You can boast your own purple and pink ribbons until Halloween as this month is both Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Domestic Violence Awareness Month. As part of the annual Awareness Issue, New Times staffers are bringing you one woman’s take on her fight against breast cancer, where to get free breast cancer screenings in SLO County, a shout-out to men—participate in the struggle to end intimate partner violence, and Stand Strong’s take on how we can prevent domestic violence in our community.