Back to School Supplies Needed

A colorful graphic with a school supply theme. A wooden-framed chalkboard is centered, surrounded by various supplies including pencils, rulers, crayons, paint, paperclips, and scissors on a green background. On the left side of the chalkboard, a smiling child wearing a red shirt and black backpack is featured. On the right side, the text on the chalkboard reads: “BACK TO SCHOOL” with a yellow sun doodle above the word "TO." Below, it says “Supplies Needed By July 10, 2025,” with the date highlighted in white and purple.

Help kids at Emerge start their school year with more joy.

If you would like to support school-aged children impacted by domestic abuse, please check the list below of school supplies needed. Items can be dropped off at our administrative office, located at 2445 East Adams St. from Monday to Friday between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

We appreciate your support!

You can download a PDF copy here. You can also shop from our Amazon Back To School Wish List here.

School Supplies

  • Backpacks (All ages)
  • Markers, Pens, Pencils, Colored Pencils, Mechanical Pencils, Highlighters, Dry Erase Markers
  • Binders, Spiral Notebooks, Composition Books, Sketch Pads
  • Pencil Boxes, Erasers, Scissors, Glue/Glue Sticks, Pencil Sharpeners, Protractors, Rulers
  • Paper (Wide-Ruled and College-Ruled)
  • Calculators, Texas Instruments Calculators
  • Organizers/Planners, Index Cards, Thumb Drives

Home Room supplies

  • Gallon-Sized Ziploc Bags
  • Tissues
  • Disinfecting Wipes, Hand Sanitizers
  • 3-Gallon Bins to Store School Items
  • Individual Dry-Erase Boards and Markers

Personal Items

  • Lunch Boxes (for Children and Adults)
  • Reusable Water Bottles
  • Headphones/Earbuds
  • Hygiene Items (Toiletries, Hair Accessories, etc.)

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Celebrating 50 Years of Healing, Hope and Liberation—Emerge Marks Milestone

Image of Emerge's building with text: Celebrating 50 Years of Healing, Hope and Liberation—Emerge Marks Milestone
Emerge 50th logo
IMAGE OF ANNA HARPER, EMERGE CEO, in front of Emerge's administrative office.

A Historic Celebration—and Welcoming a New CEO

This year marks a monumental moment for Emerge as we celebrate 50 years of supporting survivors of domestic abuse in Tucson and Pima County. Since our founding as the Tucson Center for Women and Children, our mission has been rooted in the safety of survivors, and today, we continue to evolve, embracing the future with hope and dedication.

Earlier this year, we welcomed Anna Harper as our new CEO. Having joined Emerge in 2009, Anna has played a pivotal role in the organization’s transformation over the past 15 years, shaping a holistic, survivor-centered approach that embraces each person in their full humanity. With 29 years of experience in working with survivors of domestic abuse and sexual assault, Anna’s leadership demonstrates a profound commitment to reimagining what community-based solutions to violence can look like—solutions founded on empathy, compassion, and above all, love.

As our CEO, Anna brings the same courage, vision, and dedication that defined her tenure as Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer. She continues to lead Emerge with a clear focus on collaboration and innovation, ensuring that every survivor has access to the support they need, no matter where they are in their journey. As we move forward, Anna is steadfast in her commitment to building on our strong foundation, guiding us through the challenges that lie ahead, especially as we face uncertainty around the continued availability of federal funding for programs supporting survivors.

“Survivors are often already living with fear due to the violence in their relationships—and the added uncertainty that support services might be taken away can further reduce their likelihood of seeking help,” said Harper. “At Emerge, we remain focused on the lived realities and the safety of people impacted by violence in our community. This community cares deeply for survivors. Tucson and Pima County have a long history of showing up for vulnerable people, and we will need our community’s support—as we always have—to maintain services, support, and safety for survivors.”

Meet the Team Leading Emerge’s Vision

image of the Emerge Leadership Team

Emerge embarks on the next 50 years of service to survivors as a team led by a group of passionate and capable people representative of our community. These individuals are entrusted with creating a safer community inside and outside of Emerge that upholds our values. With decades of experience in survivor advocacy, social justice, and community engagement, our leadership team shapes the programs and services that make Emerge a place of hope and renewal for those affected by domestic abuse.

Honor 50 Years by Investing in Community Safety

Fifty years of service is an achievement to be celebrated! We are grateful for the courageous women who started this work, for the many advocates who have dedicated their careers to serving survivors, for the community that has decade after decade shown its love and compassion for our neighbors, and for the people whose safety and well-being drives our mission. Emerge is proud of all that we have accomplished together in 50 years, and of the safer, more compassionate community that has already taken shape.

To honor this progress—and to sustain it through the next 50 years—we have created fundraising campaigns driven by individuals, groups, or organizations:

Individuals – Join the 50 for a Safer Future Campaign

We invite community members to make a donation of any amount, or set up a peer-to-peer fundraiser to encourage your network to give. Learn more here.

Groups – Join the 50 for $50k Campaign

Local businesses, churches, and community groups have been a vital part of sustaining Emerge operations since our founding! Organize fundraisers or host a donation drive to keep this tradition of strong community partnerships alive. Learn more.

Corporations – Join the 50 for $100k Campaign

Let our community know that your organization believes in creating a safer community for survivors. We’re calling on corporations and foundations that serve Tucson and Pima County to help us reach $100k—find out how. We are grateful to TEP for demonstrating their commitment to supporting survivors with $25k toward our $100k goal.

Throughout the year, and at our 50th Anniversary Celebration in September, we will recognize and celebrate our partners by announcing the total funds raised to date. Together, we can build a future where safety and healing are not just possibilities, but realities for all. Thank you for being part of our journey.

Emerge Announces New CEO

Image of the Emerge administrative building with text that reads "A Message from Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse"

Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse will change CEOs starting next month. What will not change is our commitment to creating a community that’s safer for everyone experiencing domestic violence (DV).

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October Brings Domestic Violence Awareness Month Press Conference, Awareness Walk

An image of people in front of a purple backdrop with a banner that reads "October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month" with the abbreviation "DVAM" included.
image of Emerge's administrative building

 

TUCSON, ARIZONA – Tuesday, October 1, 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse (Emerge) will host a press conference kicking off Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM). Attendees at Emerge’s Richard Elías Memorial Office at 4455 E 5th Street will hear from Charlene Mendoza, Chief of Staff for the Office of the Mayor, Emerge, and several community partners speaking on the need for community solutions to domestic violence. The conference will also include an announcement sharing details of a new annual event to create a safer community from violence.

In light of recent domestic violence-related deaths impacting Tucson families, Emerge and several partner agencies invite the community to join in an event that fosters healing. Footsteps for Healing: Building Community Safety Together will take place on Saturday, October 19, 2024, from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Silverlake Park.

We invite the community to be part of this transformative event, organized in partnership with Goodwill of Southern Arizona, Tucson Juneteenth Festival, Indivisible Tohono, Southern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault(SACASA), and the City of Tucson Community Safety, Health, and Wellness program.
The event will include an opening ceremony followed by an awareness walk around Silverlake Park, a performance from the Esperanza Dance Project, a resource fair, and interactive activities led by each partner organization, including healing groups, a coping skills art project, and more.

The event invites community members to take part in a powerful statement of unity, resilience, and commitment to supporting survivors and families impacted by violence. Domestic abuse, sexual assault, gun violence, transphobia, racism, violence against Indigenous communities and other forms of violence are deeply interconnected, creating a complex web of harm that affects individuals and entire communities. As we move together, we honor all those impacted by violence and highlight the importance of a comprehensive community response.

Footsteps for Healing is about fostering deeper relationships within our community and creating an environment where safety and healing can thrive. When we come together to center survivors and their experiences, we can better understand the collective impact of violence and work toward community-driven solutions.

Join us in this journey of hope and healing. Your presence is a move toward a safer, more connected community where every person can feel supported and valued. Following are reflections on the importance of this event from some of the organizations who helped organize it:

“Tucson Juneteenth is proud to announce a new partnership with the Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse in support of the annual Footsteps for Healing event on October 19, 2024. This collaboration highlights a shared commitment to healing, unity, and the empowerment of our community, with a special focus on supporting survivors of domestic abuse. By coming together, we aim to amplify the voices of survivors and honor their resilience in an event that aligns with Tucson Juneteenth’s long-standing mission to celebrate freedom, resilience, and cultural unity, while also addressing issues impacting the African American community.

Partnering with Emerge is a powerful opportunity for us to continue the work of uplifting our community. Through this event, we not only show solidarity with survivors of domestic abuse but also take active steps towards healing and hope.” — Larry Starks, President of Tucson Juneteenth

“We know that Tucson has the 4th highest number of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls in the country, and the state of Arizona has the 3rd highest rate of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. In the last few months it has become commonplace for women in Tucson to die at the hands of their partners. We all have a responsibility to the future and the safety of our communities and when I see the local news each night I recognize that we just aren’t simply doing enough.” — April Ignacio, Co-Founder of Indivisible Tohono

“Community engagement is vital in raising awareness for sexual assault and domestic violence because it transforms individual experiences into collective action. When communities come together to educate, advocate, and support, they create an environment where survivors are believed, justice is pursued, and prevention becomes a shared responsibility.” — Katlyn Monje, SACASA Director

“Teaching the community about sexual assault and domestic violence is important because it helps people understand the problem and know how to stop it. When people learn more, they can help make their community safer and support those who have been hurt. It also encourages others to step in when they see something wrong and to stop blaming victims. Learning about these topics helps everyone build healthy, respectful relationships. In the end, it helps break the cycle of violence and makes sure that victims are listened to and treated with care.” — Isaac Villegas Durgin, Community Enrichment Coordinator of City of Tucson Community Safety, Health & Wellness

Lance Meeks, Vice President of Community Engagement at Goodwill stated that The Village Program “benefits the communities in which we operate by specifically tailoring our outreach efforts, programs, and services to meet the needs of Southern Arizona’s most vulnerable and under-resourced populations, including people with disabilities; people with justice-involvement; disconnected youth; LGBTQ+; Black, brown and Indigenous people; and homeless youth.” Goodwill of Southern Arizona offers academic coaching, diploma and GED attainment, job training and paid job placement, bereavement support through a partnership with Tu Nidito, violence prevention mentorship programming through a partnership with Emerge, referrals for mental health and substance use services, housing resources, and more.

The Village Program has also been holding regular Community Conversations about gun violence throughout the city, including at the Dunbar Pavilion, the Children’s Peace Garden, and Freedom Park Center, to hear from community members and young people about the impact of gun violence on their lives. Meeks noted, “The Village Program will focus on strengthening families and healing community through a village approach in order to create safety and trust.

In the News

Redefining Masculinity: A Conversation with Men

Join us for an impactful dialogue featuring men at the forefront of reshaping masculinity and confronting violence within our communities.
 

Domestic abuse affects everyone, and it’s crucial that we come together to end it. Emerge invites you to join us for a panel discussion in partnership with Goodwill Industries of Southern Arizona as part of our Lunchtime Insights series. During this event, we’ll engage in thought-provoking conversations with men who are at the forefront of reshaping masculinity and addressing violence in our communities.

Moderated by Anna Harper, Emerge’s Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, this event will explore intergenerational approaches to engaging men and boys, highlighting the importance of Black and Indigenous men of color (BIPOC) leadership, and will include personal reflections from the panelists on their transformative work. 

Our panel will feature leaders from Emerge’s Men’s Engagement Team and Goodwill’s Youth Re-Engagement Centers. Following the discussion, attendees will have the opportunity to engage directly with the panelists.
 
In addition to the panel discussion, Emerge will provide, we will share updates about our upcoming Generate Change Men’s Feedback Helpline, Arizona’s first helpline dedicated to supporting men who may be at risk of making violent choices alongside the introduction of a brand-new men’s community clinic. 
Join us as we work toward creating a safer community for all.
Register Today!

Lunchtime Insights: An Introduction to Domestic Abuse & Emerge Services.

You are invited to join us on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, for our upcoming “Lunchtime Insights: An Introduction to Domestic Abuse & Emerge Services.”

During this month’s bite-sized presentation, we’ll explore domestic abuse, its dynamics, and the barriers to leaving an abusive relationship. We will also provide helpful tips for how we, as a community, can support survivors and an overview of the resources available to survivors at Emerge.

Enhance your knowledge of domestic abuse with the opportunity to ask questions and dive deep with members of the Emerge team who have decades of experience working with and learning alongside survivors of domestic abuse in our community.

In addition, folx interested in co-conspiring with Emerge can learn about ways to increase healing and safety for survivors in Tucson and southern Arizona through employment, volunteering, and more.

Space is limited. Please RSVP below if you are interested in attending this in-person event. We hope that you can join us on March 19.

Register today!

Holiday House

Holiday House
Holiday House is a donation driven event where survivors can pick out gifts for their families at no cost, while building new traditions free from abuse.

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