Dear friends, partners and members of our cherished community,
We are writing today with an important update about services provided by member organizations of GCADV during the COVID-19 crisis.
The 56 member organizations of GCADV are committed to providing the best services to communities throughout Georgia. Member organizations are also carefully considering the advisories from the Georgia Department of Health and the CDC, and taking significant precautions to protect those they serve and their teams of staff members, volunteers and board members.
Hotlines and shelters will remain open. People impacted by domestic violence can still access the support of an advocate for help accessing crucial resources. Member organizations of the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence are putting systems in place to be able to provide remote advocacy as much as possible, using phone, video and other strategies to connect with and support people who need help.
Contact your local organization for more information about how they are responding, and continue to refer people impacted by domestic violence to call the state-wide hotline 1.800.33.HAVEN (1.800.334.2836) or the national hotline 1.800.799.7233.
Member organizations of GCADV are working together with many others in their communities to coordinate efforts, plan for what lies ahead and get crucial resources to people experiencing health, financial and other impacts. By centering the most vulnerable among us, we feel that we are taking an active role in preventing the spread of this virus. We are working actively to use our voice to support Georgians who have no paid time off, who are looking at the prospect of lost wages, who are vulnerable and have few resources. GCADV is also working with administrative and legislative officials to ensure that the needs of survivors of domestic violence and their families are being addressed during this crisis.
The impact of COVID-19 has spread rapidly in our country, across the globe, and in our communities around the world. All of us need to take an active role in slowing the spread of COVID-19 and protecting members of our communities who are most vulnerable. GCADV and our 56 member organizations know that domestic violence take no break at times like these. In fact, people impacted by violence and abuse are likely to experience additional stressors with lost work, closed schools and social isolation.
With new information every day, responses are evolving rapidly. We will communicate about changes in how GCADV and our member organizations are responding.
During this difficult time, our connections with each other are more important than ever. We are sustained by our loving community of organizations, advocates and partners. We welcome anyone who would like to be in community with us, in service of a shared purpose.
Georgia Commission on Family Violence and Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence Joint Statement on Addressing Domestic Violence during COVID-19 Pandemic
Resources
- National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) Resource List
- National Resource Center on Domestic Violence – Preventing & Managing the Spread of COVID-19 Within Domestic Violence Programs
- The CDC’s COVID-19 resource center
- Georgia Department of Public Health materials and resources
- HUD COVID-19 Daily Resource Digest
Outreach Materials
Posters come in English and Spanish versions with fillable versions available to programs to customize for their local communities. Click on the images to download.
