News

Monday, December 14, 2015 by Action Alliance

Coalition Honors Leaders Who Advocate for Survivors of Sexual and Intimate Partner Violence

Richmond, VA – On December 11, the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance (Action Alliance), Virginia’s leading voice on sexual and intimate partner violence, honored three leaders who have done extraordinary work to advocate for the needs of survivors of sexual and intimate partner violence: Claire Dunn--a victim advocate from Alexandria with a 30-year history in the work, and Annie Forrest and Claire Wyatt, both recent graduates of the University of Virginia.

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Friday, November 13, 2015 by Action Alliance

Coalition Holds First-Ever Statewide Summit to Eliminate Sexual Violence Against People Incarcerated in Virginia

Richmond, VA – The Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance (Action Alliance), Virginia’s leading voice on sexual and intimate partner violence, held its first-ever annual statewide summit focused on preventing and eliminating sexual violence against people who are incarcerated.

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Monday, June 15, 2015 by Action Alliance

Action Alliance Recognizes Excellence in Advocacy Through Catalyst Awards

The Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance (Action Alliance), Virginia’s leading voice on sexual and intimate partner violence, announces eight recipients of the 2015 Catalyst Awards. The Catalyst Awards encompass superior work across eight different categories, including both sexual and domestic violence work, and apply to program staff, community leaders, volunteers, and allied professionals.

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Wednesday, June 03, 2015 by Action Alliance

Robertson School’s Rowena Briones Snags Community Engagement Grant to Evaluate Red Flag Campaign

Rowena Briones, assistant professor of public relations for the Richard T. Robertson School of Media and Culture, helped secure a year of funding for The Red Flag Campaign to raise bystander awareness on sexual violence, dating violence and stalking. The efforts of Briones and her team have made it possible to continue the important research that began with a $5000 Avon Foundation for Women grant in the Fall 2014 semester and will continue with a $15,925 community engagement grant starting July 2015.

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Tuesday, April 21, 2015 by Action Alliance

Deb Downing to Receive National “Visionary Voice Award” for Leadership in Sexual Assault Prevention

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA- The National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC), a national expert in sexual violence prevention and response, recognizes Virginian Deb Downing as one of 30 recipients nationwide for the 2015 Visionary Voice Award. The multidisciplinary group of honorees is selected for their outstanding work toward ending sexual violence. The Virginia Sexual & Domestic Violence Action Alliance nominated Deb Downing for her more than 40 years of volunteer activism and professional work to reduce the incidence of sexual violence and improve the lives of survivors.

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Monday, April 20, 2015 by Action Alliance

Action Alliance Launches Helpline Campaign to Reach LGBTQ Survivors of Partner Abuse and Sexual Assault

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA-- The Action Alliance launches a new campaign this week to encourage members of the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or queer) community who have experienced sexual assault or abuse by their intimate partners to seek help and support. The new LGBTQ Helpline Campaign features different expressions of intimate partner violence (IPV) or sexual assault in LGBTQ relationships and encourages people who are experiencing violence in their lives to call the LGBTQ Partner Abuse & Sexual Assault Helpline, a confidential resource offering support, referrals, information, and safety planning.

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Tuesday, April 14, 2015 by Action Alliance

Action Alliance Launches #ideserve Campaign to Reach African-American Survivors of Abuse

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA-- The Action Alliance launches a new campaign this week to encourage survivors of abuse to contact the statewide Virginia Family Violence & Sexual Assault Hotline for help. The “#ideserve Campaign” emphasizes essential elements of healthy relationships, and features young women proclaiming that they deserve the following essential elements in their relationships: support, respect, safety, and being heard. The campaign encourages people who are experiencing violence in their lives to call the statewide Hotline. The new campaign is designed to reach an audience of young, African-American women, a community at risk for being targets of intimate partner-associated violence in Virginia.

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Friday, December 19, 2014 by Action Alliance

Federal FY 2015 Budget Provides Critical Funding Increases to Benefit Victims

This week, President Obama signed the Fiscal Year 2015 Funding Bill (called the Cromnibus) which includes vital investments in programs that address domestic and sexual violence, including the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) fund, the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA). Specifically, the legislation significantly increases the funding released from the VOCA Crime Victims Fund, an an essential source of funding in Virginia for crisis and safety services for victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse.

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Friday, December 05, 2014 by Action Alliance

Action Alliance Releases Key Elements for Effective Policies to Address Campus Sexual Violence

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA--Amidst the flurry of national and statewide conversation about how best to address and prevent sexual assaults on college campuses, the Virginia Sexual & Domestic Violence Action Alliance (Action Alliance), Virginia’s statewide coalition of Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Agencies, today released an outline of best practices in establishing a campus response to sexual assault. The “Key Elements of Effective Policy Addressing Campus Sexual Violence” offer guidelines based on more than 30 years of work with students, campuses, community advocates and national leaders dedicated to building an effective response to sexual assault.

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Wednesday, October 08, 2014 by Action Alliance

Action Alliance Executive Director, Kristi VanAudenhove, Recipient of National Award for Excellence

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA--Kristi VanAudenhove, Executive Director of the Virginia Sexual & Domestic Violence Action Alliance, has been named recipient of the 2014 Diane Reese Excellence in Advocacy in the Movement (D.R.E.A.M.) Award by the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV). The DREAM Award honors excellence in advocacy in the domestic violence movement, and is presented to an individual each year who exhibits outstanding commitment to human dignity, social justice, and advocacy for ending domestic violence.

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