Helping Hands’ Advocates Dulce Heredia, left, and Serra Perino adorn Oak Street lampposts with Domestic Violence Awareness Month purple ribbons and placards bearing hotline and other HHAV contact information. Placards also describe common examples of abuse, physical, verbal and emotional.
Helping Hands’ Advocates Dulce Heredia, left, and Serra Perino adorn Oak Street lampposts with Domestic Violence Awareness Month purple ribbons and placards bearing hotline and other HHAV contact information. Placards also describe common examples of abuse, physical, verbal and emotional.
Dear Hood River and Columbia River Gorge Residents,
October is Domestic Violence Awareness month and we at Helping Hands Against Violence (HHAV) wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for the support you have given us throughout the year. Donations of food, clothing, household items, time and money give hope to the survivors we support. They feel like they matter; they are better able to create a new life.
Domestic violence is a pattern of coercive and/or violent tactics perpetrated by one person against a family member or intimate partner, with the goal of establishing and maintaining power and control. It can happen in any intimate relationship including among married couples, people who are dating, couples who live together, people with children in common, same-sex or gender-nonconforming partners, former partners, and teens and youth.
In our state, there are some things we know to be true: “In 2018, Oregon domestic and sexual violence programs answered 128,386 calls for help ... This included calls about domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking.” At HHAV, that translates into 289 crisis calls, and 1,512 follow up meetings.
In 2018, “Programs (in Oregon) also provided shelter for an additional 2,186 adults, 169 teens, and 1,431 children.” Last year, HHAV facilitated 3,887 nights of stay for survivors and their children.
The need for emergency shelter beds is far greater than the space available; 8,414 requests for shelter could not be met in 2018. This is just over a 1 percent increase over the unmet requests for shelter from 2016. Societal and cultural forms of oppression magnify risk factors for sexual violence, resulting in markedly higher victimization rates within historically marginalized communities.
More information can be found at The Oregon Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence website at www.ocadsv.org or by contacting us through our website at www.helpinghandsoregon.org.
If you have any questions, please call us at 541-386-4808. If you would like to donate, you may donate online at wwww.helpinghandsoregon.org.
In addition, we’re taking a stand against Domestic Violence by spreading awareness and information. You’ll notice purple ribbons downtown, hear from us on Radio Tierra, and see our 2016 Oregon DVSA Services Summary table at the Department of Human Services.
We’ve also partnered with the following local businesses and organizations: Pine Street Bakery, Ground Coffee, Doppio Coffee, Kickstand Coffee, River Daze Cafe, Columbia Gorge Bakery, Evergreen Hood River Dispensary, Hood River County Library and Rosauers supermarkets. When you stop by, make sure to post to your social media, tag HHAV_OR and the local business, and spread the message about ending Domestic Violence in the Gorge.
Thank you for all that you do for our survivors, our organization, and our community!
All the best, The Helping Hands Against Violence Team
Prevention Educator Taylor Elinski serves Helping Hands through Jesuit Volunteer/AmeriCorps.
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