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.
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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

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

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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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Pima County Revitalizes Response to Domestic Violence

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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.

1864 ABORTION LAW ENDANGERS SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

TUCSON, ARIZONA – At Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse (Emerge), we believe that safety is the foundation for a community free from abuse. The Arizona Supreme Court decision on April 9, 2024 to uphold a century old abortion ban will endanger millions.

Just weeks ago, Emerge celebrated that the Pima County Board of Supervisors declared April Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Having worked with domestic violence (DV) survivors for over 45 years, we understand how often sexual assault and reproductive coercion are used as a means to assert power and control in abusive relationships. This law will force survivors of sexual violence to carry unwanted pregnancies—further stripping them of power over their own bodies. 

As with all systemic forms of oppression, this law will present the greatest danger to the people who are already the most vulnerable. The maternal mortality rate of Black women in this county is nearly three times that of white women. Moreover, Black women experience sexual coercion at double the rate of white women.

“These disparities will only increase when the state is allowed to force pregnancies,” said Anna Harper, Executive VP and Chief Strategy Officer at Emerge. “With the lack of humanity afforded to rape and incest cases and the creation of further risk in DV situations overall, this ruling has far reaching implications.”

The Supreme Court decisions do not reflect the voices or needs of our community. Since 2022, there has been an effort to get an amendment to Arizona’s constitution on the ballot. If passed, it would overrule the Arizona Supreme Court decision and establish the fundamental right to abortion care in Arizona. Through whatever avenues they choose to do so, we are hopeful that our community will stand with survivors and use our collective voice to protect fundamental rights.

Together, we can help return power and agency to survivors who deserve every opportunity to experience liberation from abuse.

Emerge Launches New Hiring Initiative

TUCSON, ARIZONA – Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse (Emerge) is undergoing a process of transforming our community, culture, and practices to prioritize the safety, equity and full humanity of all people. To accomplish these goals, Emerge invites those interested in ending gender-based violence in our community to join in this evolution through a nationwide hiring initiative beginning this month. Emerge will host three meet-and-greet events to introduce our work and values to the community. These events will take place on November 29 from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm and 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm and on December 1 from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm. Those interested can register for the following dates:
 
 
During these meet-and-greet sessions, attendees will learn how values such as love, safety, responsibility and repair, innovation, and liberation are at the core of Emerge’s work supporting survivors as well as partnerships and community outreach efforts.
 
Emerge is actively building a community that centers and honors the experiences and intersectional identities of all survivors. Everyone at Emerge has committed to providing our community with domestic violence support services and education around prevention with respect to the whole person. Emerge prioritizes accountability with love and uses our vulnerabilities as a source of learning and growth. If you desire to reimagine a community where everyone can embrace and experience safety, we invite you to apply for one of the available direct services or administrative positions. 
 
Those interested in learning about current employment opportunities will have the chance to have one-on-one conversations with Emerge staff from a variety of programs across the agency, including the Men’s Education Program, Community-Based Services, Emergency Services, and administration. Job seekers who submit their application by December 2 will have the opportunity to move into an expedited hiring process in early December, with an estimated start date in January 2023, if selected. Applications submitted after December 2 will continue to be considered; however, those applicants may only be scheduled for an interview after the start of the new year.
 
Through this new hiring initiative, newly hired employees will also benefit from a one-time hiring bonus awarded after 90 days in the organization.
 
Emerge invites those who are willing to confront violence and privilege, with the goal of community healing, and those passionate about being in service to all survivors to view available opportunities and apply here: https://emergecenter.org/about-emerge/employment

Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse announces 2022 emergency shelter renovation to provide more COVID-safe and trauma-informed spaces for survivors of domestic abuse

TUCSON, Ariz. – November 9, 2021 – Thanks to matching investments of $1,000,000 each made by Pima County, the City of Tucson, and an anonymous donor honoring the Connie Hillman Family Foundation, Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse will renovate and expand our specialized emergency shelter for domestic violence survivors and their children.
 
Pre-pandemic, Emerge’s shelter facility was 100% communal – shared bedrooms, shared bathrooms, shared kitchen, and dining room. For many years, Emerge has been exploring a non-congregate shelter model to mitigate the many challenges trauma survivors can experience when sharing spaces with strangers during a tumultuous, frightening, and highly personal moment in their lives.
 
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the communal model neither protected the health and well-being of participants and staff members, nor did it prevent the spread of the virus. Some survivors even chose to stay in their abusive homes because that felt more manageable than avoiding the risk of COVID in a communal facility. Therefore, in July 2020, Emerge relocated its emergency shelter operations to a temporary non-congregate facility in partnership with a local business owner, giving survivors the ability to flee violence in their homes while also protecting their health.
 
Though effective in mitigating the risks associated with the pandemic, this change came at a cost. In addition to the difficulties inherent in running a shelter out of a third-party commercial business, the temporary setting doesn’t allow for shared space where program participants and their children can form a sense of community.
 
The renovation of Emerge’s facility now planned for 2022 will increase the number of non-congregate living spaces at our shelter from 13 to 28, and each family will have a self-contained unit (bedroom, bathroom, and kitchenette), which will provide a private healing space and will mitigate the spread of COVID and other communicable illnesses.
 
“This new design will allow us to serve significantly more families in their own unit than what our current shelter configuration allows, and shared community areas will provide the space for children to play and families to connect,” Ed Sakwa, Emerge CEO, said.
 
Sakwa also noted “It’s also much more costly to operate at the temporary facility. The building renovation will take 12–15 months to complete, and the COVID-relief federal funds that are currently sustaining temporary shelter arrangement are quickly running out.”
 
As part of their support, the anonymous donor honoring the Connie Hillman Family Foundation has issued a challenge to the community to match their gift. For the next three years, new and increased donations to Emerge will be matched so that $1 will be contributed for the shelter renovation by the anonymous donor for every $2 raised in the community for program operations (see details below).
 
Community members who want to support Emerge with a donation can visit https://emergecenter.org/give/.
 
The Director of the Pima County Behavioral Health Department, Paula Perrera said “Pima County is committed to supporting the needs of victims of crime. In this instance, Pima County is proud to support the excellent work of Emerge through use of American Rescue Plan Act funding to better the lives of Pima County residents and is looking forward to the finished product.”
 
Mayor Regina Romero added, “I am proud to support this important investment and partnership with Emerge, which will help provide a safe place for more domestic abuse survivors and their families to heal. Investing in services for survivors and prevention efforts is the right thing to do and will help promote community safety, health, and wellness.” 

Challenge Grant Details

Between November 1, 2021 – October 31, 2024, donations from the community (individuals, groups, businesses, and foundations) will be matched by an anonymous donor at a rate of $1 for every $2 of eligible community donations as follows:
  • For new donors to Emerge: the full amount of any donation will count toward the match (e.g., a gift of $100 will be leveraged to become $150)
  • For donors who made gifts to Emerge prior to November 2020, but who have not donated over the past 12 months: the full amount of any donation will count toward the match
  • For donors who made gifts to Emerge between November 2020 – October 2021: any increase above the amount donated from November 2020 – October 2021 will be counted toward the match

On the News

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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

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