Samantha Valdez | Tri Valley Haven

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Samantha Valdez — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 21:43:16 +0000

Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM)

The primary objective of DVAM is to raise public awareness about domestic violence, its prevalence, and the devastating consequences it has on individuals and families. By shedding light on this issue, DVAM aims to promote understanding, empathy, and support for survivors, as well as to encourage bystanders and community members to take action against domestic violence.

Domestic violence is a pervasive issue that affects countless individuals and families worldwide. Every October, Domestic Violence Awareness Month provides an opportunity to raise awareness, educate the public, and support survivors. In this blog post, we will delve into the significance of this month, the impact of domestic violence, support mechanisms available, and how we can collectively work towards eradicating this social problem.

Domestic violence encompasses various forms of abuse, including physical, emotional, sexual, and financial manipulation. It knows no boundaries and can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, or socioeconomic background. By acknowledging the widespread nature of this issue, we pave the way for empathy, understanding, and proactive solutions.

Survivors of domestic violence often face numerous challenges due to lack of resources such as finances, child care, job security, and safety. Tri-Valley Haven’s mission is to provide survivors safety and resources against these barriers. From shelters and hotlines to counseling services and legal aid, these resources serve as lifelines for those seeking safety and a fresh start.

Preventing domestic violence requires a multi-faceted approach that involves education, early intervention, and changing societal attitudes. Schools, hospitals, workplaces, and communities must actively promote healthy relationships, consent, and gender equality. By challenging harmful stereotypes and fostering a culture of respect, we can strive towards a world free from domestic violence.

As October shines a spotlight on Domestic Violence Awareness Month, let us remember that the fight against domestic violence requires collective action and unwavering commitment. By spreading awareness, supporting survivors, and advocating for change, we can create a society where everyone feels safe, respected, and free from the shackles of abuse.

of children under the age of 18 are exposed to DV in their lifetime

of violent crimes in California are DV related

of survivors reported that their abuser disrupted their work

It is important to note that domestic violence does not always manifest as physical abuse. Emotional and psychological abuse can often be just as extreme as physical violence. Lack of physical violence does not mean the abuser is any less dangerous to the victim, nor does it mean the victim is any less trapped by the abuse.

Unfair blame is frequently put upon the victim of abuse because of assumptions that victims choose to stay in abusive relationships. The truth is, bringing an end to abuse is not a matter of the victim choosing to leave; it is a matter of the victim being able to safely escape their abuser, the abuser choosing to stop the abuse, or others (e.g., law enforcement, courts) holding the abuser accountable for the abuse they inflict.

Purple Thursday

DVAM is a chance for everyone – survivors, advocates, supporters, and political leaders – to unite in our work to end domestic violence. This is a time of solidarity and empathy, and a time for survivors to share their stories.

On Thursday, October 19, wear purple to show your support of domestic violence survivors and your commitment to ending abuse! Take a selfie in your purple and tag us on social media @trivalleyhaven and use the hashtags #PurpleThursday #DVAM

*Our hotline is available 24/7 even on major holidays, please call us for shelter inquiries or if you need emotional support at 1-800-884-8119*

People expect all stories of abuse to be loud and angry, but they’re not.

Sometimes they’re quiet and cruel and swept under the rug

Trista Mateer

Aphrodite Made Me Do It

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Livermore Connects

Samantha Valdez — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 15:59:02 +0000

New local coalition

In the Spring of 2023, Alameda County awarded Tri-Valley Nonprofit Alliance a grant to lead the Coalition to Expand Community Outreach and Resource Navigation in North Livermore. This two-year project will support TVNPA’s Anti-Poverty Collaborative to address the needs of people living in or near poverty.

Partners in the coalition entitled Livermore Connects, include TVNPA, Axis Community Health, Open Heart Kitchen, Tri-Valley Haven, and City Serve of the Tri-Valley.

Livermore Connects aims to improve health and economic outcomes for vulnerable populations, including Black, African American, Latinx, LGBT+, formerly incarcerated, survivors of trauma and violence, and those experiencing housing insecurity/homelessness. Services will include mental health, healthcare, emergency financial assistance, temporary and permanent housing, food distribution, and domestic violence support.

By working together, the coalition hopes to ensure community members are connected with the services and resources needed to improve their health and economic outcomes.

Livermore Connects held their first joint event on Saturday, August 12th. Aptly named, Salud Y Sol, End of Summer Health Fiesta, was a free community event that centered on health-focused activities and resources for the residents of the Tri-Valley area.

This event aimed to foster a sense of community while offering valuable health-related services, information, and activities for attendees of all ages.

One of the highlights of the Health Fiesta was the Health Passport, which encourages attendees to explore each partner’s booth and complete their passports for a chance to win a gift certificate prize. The partner organizations hosted a diverse range of interactive and educational activities, ensuring there is something for everyone to enjoy.

As a partner of Livermore Connects, Tri-Valley Haven hosted a booth to distribute filled backpacks. These backpacks were filled with the essentials – pens, paper, binders, glue, etc. – to ensure low-income children had the foundation to succeed going back to school. We ended up distributing all of our backpacks – 230 – before the event ended.

We would like to thank everyone who donated to both of our backpack events – this year was the most we ever gave out!

We would also like to thank TVNPA for inviting Tri-Valley Haven to be a part of such an important coalition. Together, we can create a community free from violence.

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Tri-Valley Haven Community Building:
3663 Pacific Avenue, Livermore, CA 94550

Counseling and Administrative Offices:
925.449.5845

Crisis Line:
1.800.884.8119

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Women’s Equality Day

Samantha Valdez — Fri, 04 Aug 2023 17:08:07 +0000

Women's Equality Day

In August 1920, the U.S. Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby officially certified the 19th Amendment that gave women the right to vote.

This was a victory in the fight for gender equality after many decades of campaigning from women’s civil rights movements.

Annually on August 26th, widescale attention on women’s equality is marked across America.

Women will only have true equality when men share with them the responsibility of bringing up the next generation.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg

August 26 – Women’s Equality Day (WID), marks the anniversary of the certification of the 19th Amendment, which granted some women the right to vote. The fight for women’s equality has always been grounded in the right to vote. When some women have fewer rights and access, we cannot call ourselves equal, and we cannot celebrate equality.

But now, we have fewer rights than we have had in decades with the loss of Roe v. Wade, soaring maternal death rates, and passing anti-voter laws – just to name a few.

Every Aug 26, we celebrate the accomplishments women have made and commemorate the 19th Amendment. However, this August, women are standing together, demanding our rights restored, demanding to be heard, and demanding to be seen and treated as equals.

In support of this day, Tri-Valley Haven’s offices will be closed Friday, August 25th, 2023.

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Tri-Valley Haven Community Building:
3663 Pacific Avenue, Livermore, CA 94550

Counseling and Administrative Offices:
925.449.5845

Crisis Line:
1.800.884.8119

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Capital Campaign Updates

Samantha Valdez — Thu, 13 Jul 2023 19:37:30 +0000

Rebuilding Our Emergency Domestic Violence Shelter

Essential to our mission, our shelter provides the security and resources that clients need to rebuild their lives. In order to continue this mission, we need to first rebuild our shelter.

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Tri-Valley Haven Community Building:
3663 Pacific Avenue, Livermore, CA 94550

Counseling and Administrative Offices:
925.449.5845

Crisis Line:
1.800.884.8119

“Creating Homes Safe From Abuse”

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Tri-Valley Haven Commemorates Sexual Assault Awareness Month

Samantha Valdez — Tue, 11 Apr 2023 23:56:23 +0000

Tri-Valley Haven's Sexual Assault Dept. reflects on saam

Every year, Tri-Valley Haven commemorates Sexual Assault Awareness Month as a way to stand in solidarity with all victims and survivors of sexual violence, to honor the courage of the amazing advocates who we have gone before us and to prevent the ongoing cycles of abuse.

Decades ago, awareness of the terrible realities of sexual assault and domestic violence were limited at these times. With the civil rights era, movements for social change and equality began in the 1940s. Efforts during this time were advocated by women of color. Advocates like Rosa Parks worked at the intersections of race-based and gender-based violence. *

Social activism around the issue of sexual assault continued into the 1970s, bringing with it support for survivors and increased awareness. The first rape crisis center was founded in San Francisco in 1971. Tri-Valley Haven opened its doors in 1977 and established the only Rape Crisis Center in the Tri-Valley area in 1982. The Violence Against Women Act of 1993 (VAWA) was passed into legislation in 1993 due to the tireless work of sexual assault survivors and advocates.

Many rape crisis centers throughout the United States and internationally held events, marches, and observances related to sexual abuse prior to the first nationally observed Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April 2001.

This year is the 22nd anniversary of Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), and the theme is “Drawing Connections: Prevention Demands Equity.” We invite all individuals in our community to join us in the various activities Tri-Valley Haven has planned, both in-person and online.

Throughout April, Tri-Valley Haven advocates are providing age-appropriate sexual assault prevention classes including information on healthy relationships, affirmative consent and bystander intervention at several Tri-Valley middle and high schools.

Thank you for joining the movement in support of sexual assault survivors.

If you have any questions about Tri-Valley Haven or Sexual Assault Awareness Month, please contact Sarah, Director of Sexual Assault and Counseling Services at: Sarah@trivalleyhaven.org.

If you are a victim of sexual assault and/ or domestic violence and would like to speak to an advocate, you can call Tri-Valley Haven’s 24-hour crisis line anytime at 1-800-884-8119.

*Information included from NSVRC, National Sexual Violence Resource Center nsvrc.org .

On Wednesday, April 26th Tri-Valley Haven will commemorate Denim Day, a day of sexual assault action and awareness. Denim Day began in 1999 to protest an Italian Supreme Court decision that overturned a rape conviction because the victim was wearing jeans. The Italian Supreme Court dismissed charges against a 45-year old rape suspect because his 18-year-old victim was wearing jeans at the time of the attack. At the time the Judge argued, “Because the victim wore very, very tight jeans, she had to help him remove them… and by removing the jeans… it was no longer rape but consensual sex.” The judgment sparked a worldwide outcry from those who understand the coercion, threats and violence that go along with acts of rape. Each year, Tri-Valley Haven hosts Denim Day to honor all survivors and combat the victim blaming which unfortunately still happens.

Tri-Valley Haven invites you to wear denim on Wednesday, April 26 and spread awareness about preventing sexual assault in our community. Tag Tri-Valley Haven across social media for a chance to enjoy coffee with our local mayors: John Marchand, Karla Brown and Melissa Hernandez.

Finally, to wrap up Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Tri-Valley Haven invites you join our Candlelight March on Friday, April 28 at 7pm in Downtown Livermore. Please meet Tri-Valley Haven staff, volunteers, survivors, advocates and supporters at Lizzy Fountain on the corner of First Street and Livermore Avenue. We will take a short walk together along the Downtown Livermore sidewalks raising vital awareness.

Written by Sarah Bariya

Director of Sexual Assault Services

Sarah Bariya has a JD degree and with over ten years of working with law firms and law related fields, she discovered her passion for advocating for the underserved population while working as CASA for the court system of the Eastern Panhandle area. She joined Tri-Valley Haven in 2015 where she has worked for the Homeless Services Department, Domestic Violence Services and she is now the Director of Sexual Assault Services with Tri-Valley Haven.

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Tri-Valley Haven Community Building:
3663 Pacific Avenue, Livermore, CA 94550

Counseling and Administrative Offices:
925.449.5845

Crisis Line:
1.800.884.8119

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SAAM

Samantha Valdez — Tue, 04 Apr 2023 19:37:17 +0000

Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM)

Crisis Calls

Pounds of Food Distributed

DV Bednights

Backpacks distributed

Connect with Us

Tri-Valley Haven Community Building:
3663 Pacific Avenue, Livermore, CA 94550

Counseling and Administrative Offices:
925.449.5845

Crisis Line:
1.800.884.8119

“Creating Homes Safe From Abuse”

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International Women’s Day

Samantha Valdez — Wed, 08 Mar 2023 04:23:43 +0000

International Women’s Day (IWD) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender equity.

We can all challenge gender stereotypes, call out discrimination, draw attention to bias, and seek out inclusion.

International Women’s Day was honored for the first time in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland in 1911. Over one million women and men attended IWD rallies campaigning for women’s rights to work, vote, hold public office, and end discrimination.

Marked annually on March 8th, IWD is one of the most important days of the year to celebrate women’s achievements, educate and awareness raise for women’s equality, and call for positive change in advancing women.

What is the difference between equity and equality?

Equality means each individual or group of people is given the same resources or opportunities.

Equity recognizes that each person has different circumstances, and allocates the exact resources and opportunities needed to reach an equal outcome.

If everyone is given the exact same thing, expecting that will make people equal, it assumes that everyone started out in the same place – and this can be vastly inaccurate due to factors such as poverty, lack of education, etc.

Women’s equality is everyone’s responsibility.

International Women’s Day (IWD) belongs to everyone, everywhere. There’s a space and place for everyone to help fight the good fight. All IWD activity is valid, that’s what makes IWD inclusive.

One world, one mission: a movement forging women’s equality. IWD brings together and unifies all those who care deeply about women’s rights, and who can help forge a gender-equal and inclusive world.

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Tri-Valley Haven Community Building:
3663 Pacific Avenue, Livermore, CA 94550

Counseling and Administrative Offices:
925.449.5845

Crisis Line:
1.800.884.8119

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Celebrate Women’s History Month

Samantha Valdez — Tue, 07 Mar 2023 00:37:15 +0000

Recognizing the achievements of women in all facets of life – science, community, government, literature, art, sports, and medicine – has a huge impact on the development of self-respect and new opportunities for girls and young women.

History helps us learn who we are, but when we don’t know our own history, our power and dreams are immediately diminished.

Honoring Our Founding Mothers

Claire Nelson and Council Member Cathie Brown were co-directors and founders of Tri-Valley Haven. The Haven was born out of their advocacy and the perseverance of an amazing group of formidable women.

Claire was invested in working to help women and children after years of experience in the daycare field, where she became more aware of the frequency and severity of domestic violence in the area. She became known for her phrase, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

Cathie eventually entered politics and became the mayor of Livermore.

Let’s Take A Look At Some Women Making Waves

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Tri-Valley Haven Community Building:
3663 Pacific Avenue, Livermore, CA 94550

Counseling and Administrative Offices:
925.449.5845

Crisis Line:
1.800.884.8119

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Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month

Samantha Valdez — Fri, 17 Feb 2023 21:27:51 +0000

February is teen dating violence awareness month

Each February, young adults and their loved ones across the nation raise awareness about the issue of teen dating violence through Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month (TDVAM). This annual, month-long effort focuses on advocacy and education to stop dating abuse before it starts.

Engaging young adults and teens is key to promoting healthy dating relationships. This involves promoting values of healthy relationships, increasing awareness of dating violence, developing skills necessary to maintain safety, providing information about services available, and creating an environment where young people can reach out for help.

Dating violence is more common than you may think, especially among teens and young adults: 1 in 3 teens will experience physical, sexual, or emotional abuse from someone they’re in a relationship with before they become adults.

Tri-Valley Haven (TVH) creates a safer school environment by providing Healthy Relationship and Consent education classes for middle and high school students.

For middle school students, sessions will be conducted to inform pupils about healthy relationships and strong boundaries. Tri-Valley Haven’s preventionists provide techniques to help students respond safely to situations now and for their entire lifetime. The training utilizes “real life” bystander intervention scenarios about relationships that are empowering and help change negative student interactions.

Age-appropriate presentations are conducted to engage and inform students on identifying the signs of a healthy relationship, the warning signs of an unhealthy relationship, safe ways to prevent teen dating violence, as well as sexual assault prevention and consent. Learning what sexual consent is, and how to obtain it is key. TVH incorporates real-life scenarios around sexual consent into our presentations. This allows all students to learn strategies to help them stay safe and help them maintain safe limits. Our focus will be on empowering teens and changing behavior.

If you are interested in having Tri-Valley Haven present at your school, please contact Sarah, the Director of Sexual Assault Services.

Email: Sarah@trivalleyhaven.org

Phone: 925-621-1903

For more resources, click the button below to visit our For Teens page.

LEARN MORE

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Tri-Valley Haven Community Building:
3663 Pacific Avenue, Livermore, CA 94550

Counseling and Administrative Offices:
925.449.5845

Crisis Line:
1.800.884.8119