ABOUT US
WHO WE ARE
At the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence, we believe domestic violence is a preventable public health issue and that all Iowans deserve a life free from violence. We work alongside a statewide network of survivor support programs, connect survivors to the help and services they need, and advocate for policy and community change that makes Iowa safer for everyone.
Our Principal
We recognize and celebrate the interconnectedness of all life and focus on solutions that reduce or eliminate harm to our global environment.
Our Mission
The Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence seeks to engage all people in a movement to change the social and political systems that perpetuate violence. We do this through education, advocacy, and quality services.
OUR PRIMARY FOCUS AREAS
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Advocacy training and consultation/technical assistance to survivor support program partners, the community, and statewide partners
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Coordination of statewide multi-disciplinary efforts to respond to victims of violence
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Identifying and developing services to respond to underserved communities
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Systems and policy change at the local, state, and national level
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Housing and Economic Justice organizing and education
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Limited direct support and personal advocacy to survivors of intimate partner violence
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Referrals to direct victim service programs include:
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Financial empowerment courses
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Legal assistance
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Academic scholarship opportunities
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Direct support and personal advocacy for survivors of intimate partner violence
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Our long-term goal is to end the threat of violence for everyone in our state. Feeling physically, mentally, and emotionally safe are basic human rights that every person and child deserves. When anyone in the community experiences violence, it affects the collective health of the entire population.
We take a survivor-centered approach to victim services and believe that community-based agencies and interventions, healthcare, schools, and government systems should work together to listen and respond to the experiences of those most vulnerable in our communities. By doing so, we can all enhance the safety for survivors and their families so everyone has the ability to thrive and live a life free from violence.
OUR VALUES
BELOVED COMMUNITY
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We believe relationships are everything.
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We believe that transparency and love create a foundation for growth, support and trust.
EQUITY
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We believe access, opportunity, and self-determination are basic human rights.
INTERSECTIONALITY
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We honor the diversity of people’s identities
and experiences. -
We believe centering the leadership and needs of people who have been the most marginalized makes us all stronger.
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We believe intersectionality influences patterns
of oppression.
TRAMSFORMATION
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We believe in radical change.
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We believe that movement building and organizing with a multi-faceted, anti-racist framework will cultivate power to create liberation.
HEALING
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We believe in the necessity to acknowledge and
repair harm. -
We believe that transformative justice is rooted in whole community involvement and accountability and the creation of space for healing.
