RICADV Unveils Updated Campaign for DV Awareness Month and Opens Applications for DV Prevention Fund Community Microgrants

Warwick, R.I., October 7, 2024 – On Tuesday, the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence (RICADV) excitedly announced the launch of two important projects: an updated campaign for Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM), and a new Request for Proposals for Community Microgrants funded by the Domestic Violence Prevention Fund (DVPF).

DVAM occurs every year in October, when organizations and advocates across the domestic violence sector run public awareness campaigns and hold fundraisers, trainings, and other events with the goal of supporting survivors, educating our communities about the dynamics of abuse and available services, and mobilizing bystanders and communities to end the cycle of domestic violence. The RICADV’s rebranded campaign this year is called ‘One of Us’ and was developed in partnership with the survivor task force Sisters Overcoming Abusive Relationships (SOAR). The updated campaign highlights the fact that survivors are not just a statistic, but individuals in our communities, with their own lives and their own stories of resilience and hope.

“Victims and survivors are our family, our friends, our coworkers, our neighbors, our loved ones,” explained Lucy Rios, the RICADV’s Executive Director. “This year’s campaign is a powerful reminder that domestic violence affects all of our communities, and people in every corner of our state.”

Nearly 1 in 2 Rhode Islanders have experienced domestic violence, a statistic based on data released by the CDC late in 2023. The previous reporting of this data approximated that number to 1 in 3 women and 1 and 7 men experienced intimate partner violence, which was the basis for the original version of the RICADV’s DVAM awareness campaign, ‘1 in 3 is One of Us’, in 2023. “This isn’t showing an increase in rates of violence,” added Rios. “It’s the result of more accurate national reporting of the state-level data, which reveals the true scope and scale of the work we have to do as a community to build a better world.”

“Now we are learning that across genders, the prevalence is high, with 46.7% of women and 40.7% of men reporting experiencing abuse in their lifetime. This is completely unacceptable,” Rios continued. “We have lost too many Rhode Islanders to domestic violence. Just last week another life was stolen to this violence. Services for victims and survivors are underfunded, leaving many without the support they need to rebuild their lives after abuse. With so many of us affected by domestic violence, we must do more as a state.”

Learn more about the campaign, and check out upcoming events offered by the RICADV and our member agencies at ricadv.org/dvam-2023.

Alongside public awareness is the work of preventing domestic violence before it even has a chance to begin. Prevention is an important strategy within the movement, and that’s why the RICADV is thrilled to open this year’s Request for Proposals (RFP) for Domestic Violence Prevention Fund Community Microgrants!

“This community microgrant program aims to address disparities in rates of violence and health outcomes,” explained Somaly Prak-Martins, the RICADV’s Director of Prevention. “Our goal is to support prevention strategies that center the experiences and voices of communities most impacted by intimate partner violence.”

The DVPF Community Microgrant program will give priority to proposals whose focus is on engaging and affirming youth of color, LGBTQ+, Two-Spirit, and gender nonconforming youth, and youth with disabilities in intimate partner violence prevention activities. In addition, priority will be given to proposals that support the implementation of Rhode Island’s Lindsay Ann Burke Act, the state’s comprehensive teen dating violence education law.

Past DVPF Community Microgrant recipients have reflected on the impact that DVPF funding has had on their programs. Christian Martinez, the Former Board Chair of Gentlemen’s Academy, explained that “Gentlemen’s Academy students participated in activities to deepen their understanding of wellness and the impacts it has on self-discovery, as well as building healthy relationships and communities.”

Brad Fesmire, the Artistic Director of Riverzedge Arts, added that “Every youth enrolled in our program was able to work with RICADV and Day One facilitators to learn about interpersonal and relationship violence, and, perhaps most importantly for youth who have experienced these types of violence first-hand, how to talk about the issue and get help.”

The RICADV has announced that a total of $39,000 will be distributed to support several short-term Community Micro-grants, ranging from $1,000 to $15,000. Applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. on November 15th, 2024. “We’re so excited to support this important prevention work, and co-create with advocates and organizations across Rhode Island,” said Prak-Martins.

About the RICADV: The Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence (RICADV) is an organization dedicated to ending domestic violence. The RICADV was formed in 1979 to support and assist the domestic violence agencies in Rhode Island and to provide statewide leadership on the issue. The organization strives to create justice for victims and raises awareness on the issue of domestic violence in Rhode Island. The RICADV's network of member agencies provides a wide array of services for victims, including emergency shelter, support groups, counseling services and assistance with the legal system. For more information about these organizations and services, call the statewide Helpline at 800-494-8100. And for more information about the RICADV, visit us online at www.ricadv.org.