Renewing Safety, Stability and Our Commitment

With your support, we renew safety, stability and our commitment to the brightest possible future for the women, men, youth and children we serve.

Renewing safety for kids like Julie:

Julie visited many friends and family members with her mom, Tanya, as they tried, again and again, to find safety. Tanya, 26, was escaping domestic violence. Unfortunately, her abusive partner found her and Julie repeatedly. Your support helps survivors like Tanya and Julie get out of harm’s way and find safety.

Answering the call for help

Thanks to you, Tanya and Julie found safety. Tanya called Doorways’ 24-Hour Domestic & Sexual Violence Hotline and moved into the Domestic Violence Safehouse, finally finding the safe haven she and Julie desperately needed.

Together with their Children’s Counselor, kids like Julie can heal from trauma.  Our dedicated Children’s Services offer a safe place for children to process their experiences, while also providing critical skills to navigate a new life free from abuse and instability, iterrupting intergenerational cycles of abuse by helping kids heal.

Renewing stability for families like Cheryl’s:

Take a walk in Cheryl’s shoes. Despite working two jobs, Cheryl barely made enough to make ends meet, living on the edge between housed and homeless here in Arlington. Her income covered rent and utilities, but there was very little left for other essentials like food, transportation and clothes for her daughters, Mary and Alicia. Then, she was laid off; Cheryl’s family was in crisis. Your support helps ensure that crisis doesn’t derail families like Cheryl’s.

In so many ways, Cheryl is not alone. Over the last 5 years, the number of families experiencing homelessness in the D.C. metro region has grown 1.6 percent. Last year alone, the number of individuals and families experiencing homelessness here in Arlington grew by 33 percent. Luckily, our caring community is here to support families like Cheryl’s, providing safe housing and comprehensive support services like one-on-one sessions with a Financial Counselor, like the one shown below.

Through these sessions, clients learn how to maximize their limited budgets, get support finding and securing employment that pays a living wage, and implement strategies to save for the future, even while money is tight. Step by step, session by session, together with our community, we work to ensure that our clients build the foundation they need to maintain their stability.

Today, thanks to you, Cheryl and her daughters are thriving. Cheryl loves her job as a realtor; Mary graduated high school and is now in college; and Alicia is on the honor roll with a bright future ahead. Together, they work to give back to the community that supported them when they needed it most.

“When I think about all that me and my girls are today, all that we give back, all that we know, all that we are on course to accomplish in life, I know we are making our community stronger.”

Renewing commitment to survivors like Rena:

At the young age of 15, Rena was sexually assaulted here in Arlington. Unfortunately, this isn’t unusual; young women ages 16-24 are at the highest risk for first-time interpersonal violence.

“‘Imagine a classroom of 20 girls,’ [the National Women’s Law Center] said. ‘Based on our survey findings, six girls would have been touched, kissed, groped or forced to endure a sexual act against their will. And two would have been homeless.'”

“‘Despite the challenges facing them, the girls who participated in the National Women’s Law Center study remained optimistic: Eighty percent felt like they had a bright future ahead of them.”

Changing the story in our community by enhancing our community’s response to violence

Just one year ago, Arlington didn’t have a clear response for young survivors like Rena. Luckily, thanks to your support, today, it’s a different story.

Rena was connected with one of Doorways’ specially trained Sexual Assault Response Advocates (SARA volunteers) who supported her as she received medical attention after being assaulted.

Afterward, Rena received trauma-informed support through our newest response, Revive Domestic & Sexual Violence Program, which serves survivors of all ages, providing much-needed support for youth like Rena.

“I can tell them my problems and issues so they can help me solve them. They are supportive.”