Community Strategy

Health: Crisis intervention and recovery services for victims.

Program

Alternatives to Domestic Violence (ADVP)

Program Goal 

YWCA requests funding for our Alternatives to Domestic Violence Program (ADVP). Founded in 1977, the Alternatives to Domestic Violence Program (ADVP) provides legal assistance, advocacy, counseling, career mentoring and crisis services to domestic violence survivors and their children. While ADVP also includes our shelter, we are not currently requesting funding for the shelter program at this time. Domestic violence in Spokane County is higher than the state average, at 13.7 incidences per 1,000 people compared to 7.6 for the state average. Local law enforcement receives 14,500 DV-related calls every year, and DV accounts for 25% of all criminal cases in the county. High rates of DV are strongly correlated with other health and socioeconomic indicators outlined as priorities for United Way and other community agencies. Domestic violence is not limited to physical assault; it can include verbal humiliation, jealousy, financial control, and actions such as using children as pawns in a relationship. Data from Spokane’s Point-in-Time Count, calculates homelessness using a one-day measure, consistently illustrates that domestic violence is one of the most common causes of homelessness for women and families with children. Our services are in high demand this year and we have noted increased use of our help line, legal services and mental health services, and have often had full wait lists for programs throughout the year. Additional funding will allow us to continue providing these vital services to survivors and their children.

Impact of Donor Gifts to United Way

UW funding is an important revenue source for YWCA Spokane. Most of our funding is public and attached to specific grant-funded populations, and flexible private funding such as UW helps meet the need these grants cannot, such as salary dollars when key positions are not fully funded, client assistance (such as gas to relocate away from an abuser, or interview clothes for a job), professional development, subsidizing services for clients without insurance and more. UW funding is a crucial investment in meeting short-term client needs and catalyzing longer-term change in both the community and the families we serve.