Over the past six months, we here at Radiant Futures have carefully reworked the way we provide services in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. We have taken a number of steps during this time to ensure services remained safe and accessible to the survivors of domestic violence in our community: we have increased our use of emergency motel vouchers for those who need a safe place to stay the night, we have hired helpline staff to help support the 25% increase in calls we’ve seen since March, and we have introduced our NOTABLE livestream programming, which keeps the community informed, engaged, and connected during this challenging time.

It is the commitment of our staff who work every day as essential workers to support each survivor who has experienced abuse by their partner, build safe spaces for each child who has witnessed violence within their home, and offer each person who has caused harm in their relationships the opportunity to accept responsibility for their actions and create meaningful change. Much of this work goes unsung, but this month during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, I humbly ask you to pause and take a moment to recognize the amazing work of the frontline staff here at Radiant Futures and our partner organizations, who have made it their mission to support and serve those who have been victimized by abuse.

As Maya Angelou said, “How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!”