Everyone deserves a life free of violence. At WSCADV, we are working to create a world where all people can live and love freely without fear. Throughout 2020, we supported our member programs to best meet the needs of survivors in their communities, engaged the public to play a role in preventing violence, and offered visionary leadership to help the next generation heal from trauma.
Letter from the Executive Director
“We have a choice to make: run from the storm, or into it. We choose to run into it and through it.” – Moment of Truth: Statement of Commitment to Black Lives
To our beloved community,
What a year it was! Throughout 2020 we saw domestic violence skyrocket as a result of the pandemic. Coronavirus, economic and social upheaval, and our nation’s racial reckoning all came together to create a “perfect storm.” Together with our membership and generous supporters like YOU, we made it possible for domestic violence survivors to make it through the storm.
Impact numbers
Impact programming
Supporting our member programs
When the world came to a screeching halt in March of 2020, WSCADV mobilized. Messages of “stay home, stay safe” permeated our communities, leaving survivors of abuse alone in their experience of increased isolation and danger. What do you do during a pandemic when your home is not a safe one? Survivors and their children needed domestic violence programs to be there for them. And programs needed help figuring out how to adjust their services to meet safety guidelines and emerging needs. WSCADV was there for local programs so they could be there for their community.
Visionary leadership
The murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Ahmaud Arbery, and so many others brought a long overdue racial reckoning in this country. We lead a national conversation and co-authored a call to action on racial justice, signed by over 40 domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions across the country. As survivors across our state were dealing with an increase in violence, systemic racism, and the economic downturn, we offered both pragmatic support and set our sights on a shared vision and purpose: Creating communities where all people can live and love without fear. Our programming and policy advocacy increased community economic resilience, got cash to survivor households, and invested in new solutions to prevent violence.
Engaging the public
Just three weeks into 2020, Washington became the first state to have a confirmed case of COVID-19. The country turned to us to see how the pandemic was impacting survivors. We saw the critical role friends and family were playing as “first responders” to loved ones in an abusive relationship and responded immediately by distributing concrete tools, like our Friends and Family Guide in English and Spanish, on how to stay connected and provide support even when we had to stay physically distant. We also converted our community educational tools into digital formats, and engaged over 1,000 participants in our first ever virtual Refuse To Abuse 5K sending a powerful message to survivors: You are not alone.
Join us
You are a vital part of WSCADV’s powerful voice and community. Thank you for your exceptional and continued support.