Virginia's Sexual and Domestic Violence advocates are our community's front-line responders to survivors of violence. They provide not only crisis response and shelter for survivors, but also assistance to meet financial, housing, employment, and legal services needs.
With the continued struggles of the COVID-19 global pandemic, survivors' need for critical services from sexual and domestic violence agencies did not wane. Despite being short staffed, having difficulty maintaining 24/7 shelter coverage, budget cuts, and PPE shortages, advocates remained on the front lines to meet survivors' needs, maintaining virtual support opportunities, ongoing safety planning, including better understanding the safer use of technology, and building better relationships with community partners.
Advocates were not always in the spotlight, but have remained on the front lines for survivors.
This infographic helps illustrate the incredible impact that sexual and domestic violence advocates made in 2021, providing life-saving services to survivors of violence around the Commonwealth.