Category: News

University of Arizona Sorority Raises $200,000 to End Domestic Violence

TUCSON, Ariz.: Alpha Chi Omega sorority members at the University of Arizona gain experience with fundraising and become advocates for changing the culture of gender-based violence. Over the course of a 20 year partnership, the sorority has raised $200,000 in support of Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse (Emerge) services. In 2024 alone, the sorority has raised more than $33,000 for DV survivors.

Ryann Hochuli, Alpha Chi’s current Vice President of Philanthropy, said, “I’ve dedicated myself to advocating for and fundraising in support of domestic abuse awareness. This cause is particularly close to my heart, as I’ve seen firsthand the significant and often devastating effects that domestic violence can have on individuals and families. My experiences have inspired me to make a difference and work towards a future in which everyone feels safe and valued. Alpha Chi Omega supports survivors and advocates for changes to prevent future abuse. Together, we can break the cycle, encourage empathy, and ensure that everyone can thrive in a safe, supportive community.”

Alpha Chi also invests time and energy in raising awareness about dating violence and other forms of gender-based violence among their members and other students on the UA campus. Ed Sakwa, Emerge’s CEO, said “Emerge couldn’t ask for a better partner than Alpha Chi. It’s ingrained in their culture. We are thankful for their active efforts to educate and shift perspectives, belief systems, and behaviors within the UA student population so that everyone on campus—and beyond—is safer.”

The culture of Alpha Chi doesn’t come by accident. Tracey Rowley, Alpha Chi alumni and Philanthropy Advisor to the UA chapter, works with each year’s officers and other members to learn about the power of giving back to the community and the impact they can have on the issue of domestic violence.

“Alpha Chi Omega’s national philanthropy since 1992 is domestic violence awareness and prevention. As a result of that decision, Alpha Chi Omega, across the country has led the way in addressing a pervasive and devastating issue impacting women of all ages, races, and cultures,” said Rowley. “Accordingly, the Alpha Chi Omega chapter at the University of Arizona has completely embraced Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse. Not only is the chapter one of the top fundraisers out of the 140 collegiate chapters in the country, the chapter is one of the top fundraisers for Emerge.”

Emerge thanks Alpha Chi for the difference they are making in the lives of so many families, and we believe it is important for the community to know about the action this sorority has chosen to take to make our community safer for all. They serve as an example to all of us when it comes to taking action to bring about meaningful change in our community.

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Liberation through Love | Voices Unheard: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls

At Emerge, we honor the work, strength, and resilience of Indigenous communities, especially the Indigenous women leading the movement for safety and justice. This month’s episode of Liberation through Love addresses a critical issue: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG). We are privileged to host April Ignacio, a survivor, advocate, and co-founder of Indivisible Tohono, for a powerful conversation on the root causes of this epidemic, the barriers to safety, and the ongoing fight for justice.

Did you know that more than four in five Indigenous adults have experienced psychological aggression, physical violence, stalking, or sexual violence by an intimate partner? Additionally, Native American women are three times more likely to be murdered than white women.

Despite these harrowing statistics, many people remain unaware of this crisis. A recent survey by the First Nations Development Institute revealed that over half of non-Indigenous respondents had never heard about the violence Indigenous women endure. It’s time to change that.

The ongoing violence against Indigenous women is not just an Indigenous issue; it’s a community issue that demands our collective attention. It requires men to listen, reflect, and take responsibility for changing harmful attitudes to ensure the safety and well-being of Indigenous women and girls. It calls on all of us to cultivate safer communities for everyone.

This episode is a call to action. By understanding the scope of the MMIWG crisis and the challenges faced by Indigenous communities, we can all play a role in creating a safer future. Listen now, share widely, and be part of the change.

This is a conversation you won’t want to miss. Listen to Episode #2 of Liberation through Love now, and share widely!

Pima County Revitalizes Response to Domestic Violence

Today, the Supreme Court ruled to uphold the federal statute prohibiting individuals convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence (DV) crimes or who are subject to a DV restraining order (DVRO) from possessing firearms. This decision underscores the importance of systemic protections for people experiencing abuse—and the potential danger victims face when systems fail them. Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse is proud to announce that Pima County has also reaffirmed its commitment to supporting DV survivors.

In recent years, while families continued to lose loved ones to the epidemic of domestic abuse, Pima County’s coordinated response to DV has languished. Fortunately, Pima County has revitalized its DV response through a partnership between organizations including Emerge, Tucson City Court’s DV Court, Southern Arizona Legal Aid, Southern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault (SACASA), Tucson Police Department, and the Pima County Sheriff’s Office. Together, these partners will rebuild the county’s DV response system—and grow it to involve a more diverse group of individuals and organizations in solving the community problem of intimate partner violence.

When domestic abuse escalates to the point of a 911 response, multiple community organizations can become involved and have an impact on a survivor’s safety—for better or for worse. A Coordinated Community Response (CCR) approach to addressing DV brings together a multi-disciplinary group of agencies within law enforcement, survivor advocacy programs, and the criminal justice system to work together, implementing tools and processes designed to improve safety and accountability.

“When a community’s CCR is not active, there is great impact to how accessible safety and support are for survivors,” said Anna Harper, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer at Emerge. “We begin to see things like a lack of attention to the impact of felony declinations, lack of training that results in racial bias and injuries being overlooked with Black women, arrest and prosecution of victims who were left to defend themselves, and a lack of attention to the risk associated with firearms.”

While DV survivors in Pima County once benefited from a robust CCR, changes in leadership, staffing challenges, and impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic gradually eroded the team’s structure. Emerge and community partners in criminal justice have worked together to serve DV survivors in Pima County over the last five years; however, the CCR has not grown to meet the immense need in the community.

With STOP Violence Against Women grant funding from the Governor’s Office of Youth, Faith, and Family, Emerge and local partners are revitalizing the local CCR Team and rebuilding vital programs including:

Pima County’s Risk Assessment Protocol—to identify high-risk cases and ensure survivors have access to critical services
Pima County DV’s Fatality Review Team—to identify risk factors, systems gaps, and areas for improvement
Tucson City Court’s DV Offender Accountability Program—to improve the justice system response to DV through work with Abusive Partner Intervention Programs and providing support to high-risk victims
Pima County’s DV Strangulation Protocol—to improve training and response to strangulation as an important indicator of risk for DV victims—with special emphasis on addressing racial bias in strangulation assessment

Each of these elements is designed to prevent DV homicides, with a focus on improving coordinated support for survivors identified as being at high risk of lethality, and centering the experiences of Black and Indigenous survivors, who are often at the greatest risk of lethal violence. Another area for growth in the CCR Team is to create a more comprehensive approach that includes participation from the broader community outside of the criminal justice system.

Emerge’s role on the team is to provide training and oversight to partners to ensure that DV survivors’ needs are addressed in a trauma-informed manner in other areas of the system. April Barbosa, founder of Justice for Rosaura, has joined Emerge as CCR Team Project Manager. In this role, she will continue her work of building connections and strengthening our community’s response to domestic abuse by helping to revitalize the CCR Team.

“This role is deeply personal to me, as I lost my daughter Rosaura to domestic abuse,” said Barbosa. “My family’s experiences have fueled my dedication to this work. I do this in Rosaura’s memory to help as many people as possible. I understand the critical importance of a united, community-wide approach to ensure the safety and well-being of survivors. My commitment is to build strong partnerships and help implement effective protocols that not only support survivors but also prevent future violence. Together, we can create a safer and more supportive environment for all members of our community.

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.

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.

Licensed Legal Advocates Pilot Program Training Begins

Emerge is proud to participate in the Licensed Legal Advocates Pilot Program with the University of Arizona law school’s Innovation for Justice Program. This program is the first of its kind in the nation and will address a critical need for people experiencing domestic abuse: access to trauma-informed legal advice and assistance. Two of Emerge’s lay legal advocates have completed coursework and training with practicing attorneys and are now certified as Licensed Legal Advocates.

Designed in partnership with the Arizona Supreme Court, the program will test a new tier of legal professional: the Licensed Legal Advocate (LLA). LLAs are able to provide limited legal advice to domestic violence (DV) survivors in a limited number of civil justice areas such as protective orders, divorce and child custody.

Prior to the pilot program, only licensed attorneys have been able to provide legal advice to DV survivors. Because our community, like others nationwide, severely lacks affordable legal services in comparison to the need, many DV survivors with limited resources have had to navigate civil legal systems alone. Moreover, most licensed attorneys have not been trained in providing trauma-informed care and may not have an in depth understanding about the very real safety concerns for DV survivors while engaged in legal proceedings with someone who has been abusive.

The program will benefit DV survivors by enabling advocates who understand the nuances of DV to provide legal advice and support to survivors who otherwise might go into court alone and who would have to operate within the many rules of legal procedure. While they cannot represent clients as an attorney would, LLAs are able to help participants complete paperwork and provide support in the courtroom.

The Innovation for Justice Program and evaluators from the Arizona Supreme Court and Administrative Office of the Courts will track data to analyze how the LLA role has helped participants resolve justice issues and has improved case outcomes and expedited case resolution. If successful, the program will roll out across the state, with the Innovation for Justice Program developing training tools and a framework to implement the program with other nonprofits working with survivors of gender-based violence, sexual assault and human trafficking.

We are excited to be a part of such innovative and survivor-centered efforts to redefine DV survivors’ experience in seeking justice.

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Press Conference to be Held TONIGHT to Highlight Domestic Abuse Epidemic in Pima County
TUCSON, ARIZONA – Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse and the Pima County Attorney’s Office will be holding a press conference in conjunction with representatives from local