What to do: Contact the drives coordinator at the nonprofit Secure the Call at 301-891-2900 or info@securethecall.org. Theyll provide everything you need to hold a virtual phone drive including a press release to email your coworkers, family, and friends as well as shipping materials for everyone to safely mail their phones. You can also reach out to your local coalition to see if they can support a drivemany advocacy centers and shelters take phone donations on an ongoing basis.

Currently some advocacy organizations are helping people stay safe and access day-to-day needs while sheltering in place, and others are aiding survivors as they work through the logistics of starting over or moving into a new home. In both cases, donations can help. If you have room in your budget or gently used items stored away, take a look at your local advocacy center or shelters wishlist and donate online or at a drop-off site. You cant go wrong with a Visa gift card, says Atkins. Otherwise, common high-demand items include quality face masks, hand sanitizer, menstrual products, diapers, baby wipes, childrens toys and clothes, and furniture to fill a new space.

Theres a huge demand for volunteers and staff to work for shelters, answer hotline calls, and facilitate support groups. But if youre interested in any of the above, youll need to complete state-mandated training. Exactly what that entails will vary depending on where you live, but the standard course includes 32 to 40 hours of virtual or in-person training which covers a range of topics including the history of the domestic-violence advocacy movement, dynamics of domestic violence, your role as an advocate, safety planning, and self-care, says Nicholas.

Reach out to your local coalition to learn more about the process and sign up for a session. As of this writing, some programs like the StrongHearts Native Helpline, a free, anonymous helpline for Native Americans affected by domestic violence, already offer 100% online classes andfor the foreseeable futurefully remote jobs, says Elizabeth Carr, senior native affairs advisor for the National Indigenous Womens Resource Center.

Nearly three out of four survivors of domestic violence stay with their partner or return to them, sometimes for years, due to financial struggles, per a 2018 survey by the Institute of Womens Policy Research. To help survivors move forward, volunteer to guide them through a financial empowerment coursemany coalitions already have the curriculum ready for you, says Nicholas.

Victims and survivors often struggle to leave domestic violence situations or stay in them over legitimate concerns for the safety of their pet or the inability to secure housing for them, and this is an even greater challenge during COVID-19. But there are about 1,400 safe havens and counting around the U.S. that give pets a safe place in shelters, veterinarians offices, or foster homes. To serve as a walker, sitter, or foster parent, reach out to a safe haven in your area, and if there isnt one, consider asking your vet or advocacy center if theyd be up for starting onefunding may be available, Phil Arkow, a coordinator for the National Resource Center on the LINK Between Animal Abuse and Human Violence, tells SELF.

We need committed activists to answer the call when we demand that Congress protect survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault during the pandemic, Deborah J. Vagins, president and CEO of the NNEDV, tells SELF. How to do that: Sign up to receive action alerts to stay in the loop, and bookmark the National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence (NTF) news page, which regularly shares super-helpful tool kits with call scripts, templates for op-eds and letters to the editor, sample emails, and more.

If youre a survivor, telling your story can be a powerful way to reclaim your voice, educate others about the realities of domestic violence, and build solidarity with other survivors, says Bessie McManus, development and volunteer coordinator at Steps to End Domestic Violence in Burlington, Vermont. Have a one-on-one conversation with a loved one, post it anonymously with the help of a coalition, channel it into poetry or art, or submit a blog post, personal essay, or video to Break the Silence Against Domestic Violence, a survivor-led nonprofit with a mission to empower others to speak out.

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How to Advocate for Victims and Survivors of Domestic Violence During Coronavirus - SELF