TENNESSEE COALITION TO END DOMESTIC AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE
The following information comes directly from our 2014 Annual Report: Letter from the Executive Director
For many of us who have been working for more than 30 years to end rape and abuse, 2014 emerged as a tipping point – the culmination of a series of small changes or events significant enough to cause a larger, more important change. High profile cases in the news and rapidly growing efforts to address sexual assault and domestic violence in professional sports, on college campuses, and in our communities have raised the public consciousness and spurred conversations everywhere from the White House to the State House, from the workplace to social media, from the barbershop to the coffee shop. These conversations have prompted politicians, celebrities, athletes, and organizations to take a public stand against rape and abuse like never before.
I am pleased to report that with the generous support of donors, together with our wonderful staff and dedicated volunteers, the Coalition has been in the forefront of change in Tennessee. Here are a few highlights of our amazing accomplishments over the last year.
● The Tennessee Titans have led the pack among the NFL teams addressing domestic and sexual violence. Last fall the Titans kicked off Domestic Violence Awareness Month with an event at LP Field, hosted a group of 50 survivors at one of their games, held a coat drive for shelters, provided training on domestic and sexual violence to their players, coaches, cheerleaders, and staff, and made a significant donation to the Coalition. Partnering with the Coalition, the Titans are using their resources and influence, especially with young men, to change the culture of violence against women and girls.
● Working closely with the Coalition, the Tennessee General Assembly enacted a number of new laws designed to improve community response to victims of rape and abuse including eliminating the statute of limitations on certain sexual assault crimes, requiring all law enforcement agencies to report the number of untested rape kits, ensuring domestic violence abusers serve required jail time, and extending the Domestic Violence State Coordinating Council, responsible for developing model policies and training curriculum and certifying and monitoring batterer’s intervention programs, for another four years.
● The Coalition launched the Campus Prevention Project working with Tennessee’s colleges and universities on sexual assault prevention and response, holding round table meetings with campuses in Memphis, Jackson, Nashville, Chattanooga, Knoxville, and Morristown, and providing training and technical assistance to campus staff. We are already seeing the impact of this project with an increase in the number of rape reports on college campuses.
● With support from Verizon, the Coalition also launched the Engaging Men Project sponsoring training events and increasing community engagement statewide. As a result, men throughout Tennessee have committed to being violence free and taking ongoing action to prevent violence against women and girls.
● Thanks to the generosity of our foundation partners, the Coalition was able to provide emergency financial assistance to 181 survivors fleeing dangerous situations, a 93% increase over last year.
● The Coalition provided legal services to 292 victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
● And finally, the Coalition invested more than $400,000 in local communities.
We remain extremely grateful to our foundation and corporate partners, and to the limitless generosity of people like you. Together, we have reached the tipping point, the moment in time where efforts to end rape and abuse are spreading like wildfire.
Kathy Walsh Executive Director 2014 Impact by the Numbers: 22 batterers’ intervention programs certified 79 trainings conducted by Coalition staff 181 survivors received financial assistance 292 victims received legal services 868 victims served in one day by Tennessee’s domestic violence shelters 1,185 social media posts on topics related to sexual assault and domestic violence 13,206 people received training or technical assistance 402,236 dollars invested in local communities
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