In this moment, I am sitting in my backyard. I can feel—and see—a slight breeze pass through. The neighborhood trees rustle, and the sunlight leaves the ground dappled. My ginger cat, Ted, is connecting to his inner tiger self. He’s attempting, albeit so far failing, to catch a huge fly. (He’s cute, but not that quick). The long Labor Day weekend (thank you, unions!) marks the unofficial end of summer, even for those of us not governed by the school calendar. But right now, it’s still summer, and I am delighting in it.
Why do I mention all of this? I mention this because this is my present moment. It’s easy for me to remember the past, or to look towards the future with anticipation, or worry. Staying present can be much more difficult. And yet, reminding myself to stay present is what gives me the strength and perspective to continue working towards a better future.
Tomorrow we’ll start looking ahead, tying up 2018 activities and setting future goals. So I want to give you a quick overview of some of what the Coalition is working on now that will help set the stage for a brighter future:
+ On the advocacy front, King County and the City of Seattle are currently developing their budgets for 2019. The Coalition and our members are doing our best to advocate for funding that supports survivor wellbeing. We’ll of course be advocating for domestic violence and sexual assault services, as well as for other critical health and human services that so many survivors need to survive and heal from violence and abuse. This includes addressing our region’s affordable housing / homelessness crisis.
+ On a national level, the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) is up for renewal. We are working with our state and national coalitions to ensure that VAWA is renewed, and advocating for key enhancements, including increased investment in sexual violence prevention programs, and provisions to hold offenders accountable on tribal lands.
+ And thanks to our past advocacy efforts, there will be increased funding available starting in 2019 for critical survivor services and violence prevention efforts, through the Vets, Seniors, and Human Services Levy. Thank you King County voters! Funding from the levy will support an enhanced, consolidated regional DV helpline, expanded survivor-centered advocacy services, and the development and implementation of a coordinated regional effort to prevent violence and abuse before it starts. Through 2018, we have coordinated intensive planning and community engagement efforts around all of these initiatives, so that we are ready to make these ideas realities in the near and long-term future.
+ Demands for services are at an all-time high. The huge inequities in how our economic, legal, medical, and other systems function are in sharp relief. Our members are increasingly interested in finding ways to engage community members, outside of systems, in supporting survivors, holding people who have caused harm accountable, and creating new norms that support safe and equitable relationships. We have hosted several exciting training sessions and roundtable discussions this year on topics like restorative and transformative justice, community accountability, and primary prevention. While there is a wide range of opinion about these topics, I believe that these ideas have the potential to propel us into a more just future.
Here are some actions YOU can take right now to help propel us into a more just future:
+ Send an email to your King County Councilmember and tell them to prioritize lodging tax dollars for affordable housing, not stadium maintenance. These public dollars should be used to create as many homes as possible that working people, including struggling survivors of domestic and sexual violence, can afford. There will also be a council meeting tomorrow, Wednesday, September 5th, for the public to comment on this issue. Join us.
+ Contact your Representative in Congress and tell them that survivors can’t wait for lifesaving responses to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. Urge them to co-sponsor HR 6545, moderate legislation reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act. (Representatives Jayapal, DelBene, and Kilmer have already signed on as co-sponsors– please thank them for their support.)
+ Get out the vote for November elections! Do you care about funding and policies that affect survivors of gender-based violence? The midterm elections are only two months away and YOU can help register folks to vote! (And yes, this is a legal activity for non-profits to engage in.) You’ll receive voter registration materials, individualized assistance from the Coalition, and the personal satisfaction knowing you’ve helped your coworkers, volunteers, and participants get their voices heard on Election Day! Contact alicia@endgv.org for more information.
My cat Ted is a master at being in the moment. He helps ground me and reminds me to appreciate what is here around me. So as I prepare to gear up for the flurry of Fall, I want to take a moment to say that I so appreciate you for being with us, here and now. Thank you for working with us for a safe and just future.
Gratefully,
Merril Cousin
