wrapping survivors in love and support
Throughout the years, we have seen our community and supporters generously showing up to support survivors, and it always shines most brightly during the season of giving. Year after year, individuals, families, community groups, and local businesses send in monetary donations, goods, and services as well as donating their time and energy to ensure that survivors feel love and embrace during a time of year that can be particularly difficult for so many transitioning out of violence and abuse.
Those of you who have attended our Community Advocate Training or who have a deeper knowledge and understanding of the dynamics of domestic violence will be familiar with abusive tactics laid out on the Power and Control Wheel which highlights many of the ways that abusers work to maintain control in an abusive relationship. One of the tactics that we see time after time is using isolation to control one’s partner. In all the work we do with survivors, we encourage connection to counter the impact that this type of isolation has on anyone going through it.
This holiday season, we want to celebrate all the ways that our supporters and community members help us to reconnect survivors to their support systems, expand their networks and prepare for a life free from violence. The funds we raise through your donations and the meals and other gifts you provide for our residents and all the survivors we serve create a warm blanket that helps all of us feel the connections that we all need to thrive, especially in hard and trying times.
Help us continue wrapping survivors in love and support by making a gift to Steps on Giving Tuesday, November 29, this year! We aim to raise $7,500 on Giving Tuesday this year and, with an up to $2,500 match through Paypal, hope to bring in $10,000 to continue our important work. Gifts made to Steps on Giving Tuesday, and throughout the year, help us do so many things. You help us:
Keep our shelter warm and welcoming for every survivor who walks through our doors, with clean linens, fresh towels, a well-stocked kitchen in a cozy and secure space
Make sure that there is always a knowledgeable and supportive advocate available to help survivors navigate their options, be in their corner or just hold their hand when they need it
Support happy holidays for adults and children alike through our holiday giving program, food and meal donations, and other resources.
Answer the phone anytime, day or night, even on Christmas morning, to provide emotional support, safety planning, or in-person assistance to anyone, whether they are in crisis or just feeling alone
Run support groups and educational workshops to build a network of survivors supporting each other or working together to build skills for independent living
Get survivors into their own, independent housing with rental assistance, supportive services, “welcome home” essential needs kits, and more
Create a more informed and engaged community of support for survivors and against violence through our community workshops and other prevention efforts
There are so many ways you can get involved in the community we are nurturing, focused on embracing survivors as they are and where they are in their journeys. In addition to monetary gifts, you can join us in providing meals, building welcome home kits, maintaining comfortable and cozy shelter rooms, volunteering your time with our holiday program or other supportive services and so much more. You can talk with your family, friends, and community members about the impact of domestic violence on all of us and how we can come together to make a difference and ensure that no one experiencing violence is ever truly alone. Join us now or whenever you can to be a part of the future we are building, free from violence.
