Doorways Collaborates with Ring to Provide Safety Tools for Survivors

Senator Barbara Favola Voices Support for Initiative

Arlington, VA — June 7, 2022 — Today, local nonprofit Doorways, the only domestic and sexual violence shelter and services provider in Arlington and the City of Falls Church, announced an initiative to provide additional safety tools to survivors. Ring, whose mission is to make neighborhoods safer, will be donating up to 1,000 Ring Video Doorbells and Security Cameras to Doorways to be shared with clients, along with a free Ring Protect Plan subscription for the life of each device. In addition to this device donation, Ring will also provide a monetary contribution to help amplify Doorways’ impact for survivors across Arlington and surrounding communities.

Doorways will share devices with survivors on a case-by-case basis and as needed to support peace of mind for survivors. The National Domestic Violence Hotline defines a safety plan as a set of actions that can help lower risk of being hurt by a partner. Tools like Ring devices can help reduce risk during interactions among current or former partners, such as custody exchanges and visitation.

“Thanks to this initiative with Ring, we are able to get additional safety tools into the hands of our clients who would not otherwise be able to access them,” said Doorways President and CEO, Diana Ortiz. “Many of our clients have expressed that they want to utilize tools such as the Ring cameras and doorbells, but they do not have the means to purchase the devices and subscriptions. We are grateful that this donation will enable Doorways to meet our clients’ needs at no cost to them or the organization, so we can continue using our resources to provide shelter, supportive housing, and 24/7 services.” Ortiz went on to say that “corporate collaborations, such as this with Ring, help sustain Doorways’ life-saving programs and have been especially critical during the pandemic.”

“Many of our clients have expressed that they want to utilize tools such as the Ring cameras and doorbells, but they do not have the means to purchase the devices and subscriptions. We are grateful that this donation will enable Doorways to meet our clients’ needs.”

“Diana and her team work tirelessly to respond to each of their client’s individual and family needs and help them achieve the best outcomes,” said Karla Torres, Head of Community Engagement at Ring. “Doorways takes a community-based approach to supporting survivors, including offering comprehensive services like advocacy, counseling, and housing within and beyond Doorways. We believe in advancing their efforts in Arlington and enhancing their safety planning for clients to build safe and stable futures.”

“I’m proud to support Doorways’ collaboration with Ring that adds to the safety tools available for survivors of domestic violence,” said Virginia State Senator Barbara Favola. “These devices help make it possible for survivors to return to normal routines with a sense of security and confidence. There is nothing more important than giving survivors hope and that’s what this donation is all about.”

Day 1 Families Fund grants $96.2 million to 32 nonprofits across the country to provide shelter for children and families in need

ARLINGTON, Va. – (November 17, 2021): Doorways, a community-based nonprofit providing shelter and services for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, as well as youth and families experiencing homelessness, today announced that it has been selected to receive a $2.5 million grant from the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund—the largest private grant in Doorways’ history. Launched in 2018 by Amazon founder and executive chair Jeff Bezos, the Day 1 Families Fund issues annual leadership awards to organizations and civic groups doing compassionate, needle-moving work to provide shelter and hunger support to address the immediate needs of young families.

“Thanks to the Day 1 Families Fund, Doorways is ready to launch our next chapter by implementing innovative and cutting-edge practices, from shelter to housing stability. We are especially committed to continuing our efforts to remove barriers that prevent historically marginalized communities of color, immigrants and people with disabilities from accessing services and getting housed quickly,” said Diana Ortiz, President and CEO of Doorways. “By increasing our capacity and adding more doorways into housing and our comprehensive wraparound services, our youngest clients and their parents will overcome the trauma of family homelessness and gender-based violence.”

This one-time grant will allow Doorways to increase its capacity to provide high-quality, low-barrier shelter to families and double the number of families they transition to housing. This grant coincides with Doorways’ current strategic initiative to determine the ideal model for sheltering families with complex needs, including survivors of domestic violence. This grant will help Doorways bring this vision to life. Doorways was selected as a Day 1 Families Fund grant recipient by an independent advisory board comprised of homelessness experts with experience in policy, advocacy, racial equity, child welfare and housing and service delivery, as well as firsthand experience in homelessness.

This year, the Day 1 Families Fund issued a total of $96.2 million in grants to 32 organizations across the country. The 2021 Day 1 Families Fund grant recipients are: ACLAMO; Adopt-A-Family of the Palm Beaches; Alabama Rural Coalition for the Homeless, Inc.; All Chicago Making Homelessness History; AACI (Asian Americans for Community Involvement); Building Changes and Africatown International; Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Santa Rosa; Colorado Coalition for the Homeless; Covenant House Alaska; Destination: Home; Doorways; Family Life Center; Family Service League; Friends of the Family; Homeless Action Network of Detroit; Homeward; LifeMoves; Lubbock Open Door; Mesilla Valley Community of Hope; Mid-Maine Homeless Shelter & Services; Mississippi United to End Homelessness; Newcap, Inc.; Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance (OCAPICA); Portland Homeless Family Solutions; Project Community Connections, Inc.; Rural Alaska Community Action Program (RurAL CAP); Sacramento Steps Forward; SHELTER, Inc.; Texas Homeless Network; The Link; TriCounty Community Action Agency, Inc.; and Union Station Homeless Services.

“In one of my darkest years, Doorways has been the light that kept me going when I felt like I had no more energy to fight for myself and my children,” said a client of Doorways. “Thank you to the donors and to all the staff that have been supporting and taking care of us during this pandemic.” 

The Bezos Day One Fund made a $2 billion commitment to focus on making meaningful and lasting impacts in two areas: funding existing non-profits that help families experiencing homelessness, and creating a network of new, non-profit tier-one preschools in low-income communities. The Day 1 Families Fund issues annual leadership awards to organizations and civic groups doing compassionate, needle-moving work to provide shelter and hunger support to address the immediate needs of young families. Since 2018, the Day 1 Families Fund has issued 130 grants totaling more than $398 million to organizations around the country working to combat homelessness and help families gain housing support and stability. The vision statement comes from the inspiring Mary’s Place in Seattle: no child sleeps outside. For more information, visit www.BezosDayOneFund.org/Day1FamiliesFund.

About Doorways

Doorways creates pathways out of homelessness, domestic violence, and sexual assault, empowering clients to achieve safe and stable lives. Doorways’ trauma-informed approach addresses the cycles of abuse, homelessness, and poverty in a proactive and nimble way, meeting clients where they are and providing tailored support toward long-term stability. Doorways partners with clients to break cycles of abuse, homelessness, and poverty in a proactive and client-centered way, empowering healing journeys that enable long-term stability. To learn more and join Doorways today, visit www.doorwaysva.org.