SURVIVORS fleeing violent homes are provided with safe solutions, and a pathway towards safety and stability.
WOMEN AND YOUTH are empowered to help change lives and communities.
SURVIVORS of sexual violence find immediate help, culturally-responsive services, esperanza.
is a place where. . .
YOUNG FATHERS discover a safe circulo of men to reflect on their own childhood truth, so they can rewrite the story for future generations.
. . . a frightened woman made a call to the first-in-the-nation 24-hour Spanish language crisis hotline for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence. At the end of the line, she found the soothing voice of a volunteer who not only spoke her language, but also offered her compassionate support and esperanza .
Today, there is an urgent need to invest in the future of the East Los Angeles Women’s Center.
What began as a humble, grassroots effort is now a thriving, comprehensive agency, delivering cultural services built on a foundation of trauma-informed and evidence-based practices.
It's a place where women, girls, and families can realize their inner strength, recognize their resilience, and find a path to healing and self-sufficiency.
As ELAWC has grown, so too have the demands on our facilities. While the agency remains responsive to the rising, complex needs of survivors, our facilities have not.
It’s time for a forever home for ELAWC.
. . .trailblazing Latinas created an organization to fill a void in the community, a place where survivors would be truly understood. . . their language, their families, their culture … and empowered to change the trajectory of their lives — free from violence and abuse.
The Campaign for ELAWC is your opportunity to invest in a sustainable, permanent home for ELAWC and strengthen our ability to change lives.
You are invited to be a part of this pivotal moment as we begin renovating our recently acquired new headquarters, a 10,000 sq. ft building on the Eastside of Los Angeles.
Campaign momentum is growing. With generous commitments from lead donors and a matching grant challenge, planning and design are well underway. With your help, we will complete major renovations by the end of 2022, finalize interior and exterior finishes in early 2023, and be debt-free by 2028. We welcome your partnership as a steward of sustainability and champion of hope.
Thank you for investing in the promise of peace in families and communities.
It is a serious public health problem in the U.S. profoundly impacting lifelong health, opportunity, and well-being.
1 in 5
51% report being raped by an intimate partner by an acquaintance 40.8%
VIOLENCE
Intersects with poverty, mental illness, substance abuse, homelessness, and family disruption IN
women in the U.S. experience a completed or attempted rape during their lifetime 1 3
the national lifetime economic burden incurred by survivors, perpetrators, healthcare, employers, criminal justice, and government.
65% of survivors at ELAWC have experienced multiple traumas in their lifetime (DV, Sexual Assault)
1 6 MEN of Latinx women experience intimate partner violence in their lifetime
Domestic violence is the leading cause of homelessness among women and children
36% of those experiencing homelessness in LA County are Latinx
Exposure to family violence can cause long term developmental, emotional, and behavioral problems
1in15
80% of homeless mothers with children report experiencing domestic violence
children are exposed to intimate partner violence each year
Children exposed to intimate partner violence are at high risk for physical and emotional abuse
Children witnessing domestic violence are at risk to continue the cycle of abuse
ELAWC is a leading voice and advocate for survivors and their families affected by sexual, domestic, and intimate partner violence, HIV/AIDS, and housing insecurity.
A significant and enduring social problem, gender-based and intergenerational violence is an ongoing challenge affecting millions of women, girls, and families.
Advocacy and new protective public policies and laws are changing attitudes. Education and prevention campaigns teach youth violence is never acceptable. And women have more access to crisis intervention, support, and treatment.
Yet, each year, thousands of survivors and their families endure the trauma of domestic and sexual violence and turn to ELAWC for help.
ELAWC is here 24/7 to meet the initial crisis and to offer ongoing resources and support to help survivors find a path to safety and healing.
1990 >
1980 >
1976 >
> Established first-in-nation bi-lingual SpanishEnglish rape hotline
> All volunteer staff
> Expanded hotline programs to include domestic violence and HIV prevention
> Launched Promotoras en Accion Contra el SIDA — first-inthe-nation genderbased violence and HIV prevention program for Latinx communities
> Received first federal grant to support Promotora Contra la Violencia
> Expanded human trafficking outreach efforts
> 12 staff, 15 Promotoras, 25 volunteers, 1 location
> Co-located at the Wellness Center@-LAC-USC Medical Center
> Delivered trauma-informed training to 16,000 health care workers
> Initiated fatherhood and men’s programs
> Established housing programs
> Opened emergency shelter and transitional housing
> Established DV Task Force at LAC+USC
> 6 locations serving over 12,000 individuals and 30 communities
> 60+ staff, 150 Promotoras, 75 volunteers
> Established 7 Promotora collectives county-wide — reaching 10,000 women
> Expanded family therapeutic, parenting, and housing programs
> 50,000+ COVID outreach contacts made by Promotoras
> Purchased building for permanent HQ
has earned a reputation as a trusted and compassionate resource working to empower and transform lives — and the lives of future generations.
Sexual and domestic violence intersects with many issues including poverty, mental illness, substance abuse, homelessness, and family disruption.
To address the multiple and complex needs of our clients, interconnected programs are designed to build upon each other to help end intergenerational gender-based violence.
At ELAWC survivors, families, children, youth, and fathers receive services to address co-occurring issues; facilitate a healing process; and create opportunities to achieve healthy relationships, safety, and stability.
Promoting Well-being and Violence-free Communities
12,000 annual hotline calls and web chats
33,000 bed nights for women and children
45,000 contacts with community members for covidresources and testing
475
475 families permanently housed
80% of clients report improved quality of life and economic autonomy
“THE WORK OF ELAWC SAVES LIVES, AND AS IT IS SAID, TO SAVE A LIFE IS TO SAVE THE ENTIRE WORLD.”
— Donor
For 46 years, ELAWC has been a place for hope (esperanza) and healing for survivors and families affected by sexual and domestic violence, HIV/AIDS, and the intersection of homelessness.
Working out of leased spaces, our agency has always made the best of aging buildings, constrained spaces, and deteriorating interiors. But after years of uncertainty, we knew it was time to find a forever home.
And we found it! In late 2021, we were able to purchase a nearly 10,000 square ft building for a permanent headquarters. Property ownership gives ELAWC financial predictability, long-term stability, and the opportunity to build equity.
Our future location also gives ELAWC the ability to expand our footprint to serve the Eastside and Southeast Los Angeles, and the flexibility to adapt space to best meet changing needs for current and new programs. With a financially sustainable and fully-resourced center, ELAWC can reliably serve generations to come.
As we make this complex transition, we are reaching out to you, our friends, supporters, volunteers, and embajadoras — to help us meet the financial challenges of this significant project.
"THIS JOURNEY WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE GENEROSITY OF THE MANY DONORS WHO HAVE SUPPORTED ELAWC THROUGHOUT THE YEARS. "
— Barbara Kappos, Executive Director
GOAL:
MILLION 1.7 M by Dec. 2023
1.3 M by Dec. 2028
Located just a few minutes from our current offices, our new home will be a place to:
> Meet the crisis needs of survivors and families
> Deliver innovative solutions to disrupt cycles of abuse and homelessness by meeting the complex needs of survivors
> Increase reach and expand services in the Eastside and Southeast Los Angeles communities
> Locate administrative services for the entire organization
> Establish a permanent and fully resourced center for comprehensive services
> Create opportunities for leadership, empowerment, voice, and choice
> Work collaboratively with partners to foster the implementation of policies and practices that support social justice and human rights
> Build organizational capacity
> Therapeutic spaces for individuals and groups
> Housing Hub for assessment, case management, and referrals to emergency and permanent housing
> Comprehensive case management resources
> Children’s Corner for respite and activities
> HIV Navigation for linkages to resources, counseling, and testing
> Group activity spaces for self-defense, yoga, healing, and more
> CalWorks case manager offices
> Executive offices
> Promotora Collective Center for SA/DV prevention and education
> Volunteer advocates and hotline offices
> Program offices for human trafficking and male engagement
Administrative offices
Floor plans and renderings subject to change.
At the heart of our work at ELAWC are the blessings that come from witnessing the successes and accomplishments of the survivors and families we see every day — challenged by poverty, sexual and intimate partner violence, human trafficking, HIV/AIDS, and homelessness. Their resiliency and investment in their own personal growth constantly renew our faith in the human spirit.
By investing in the success and sustainability of ELAWC, your charitable gift will not only transform the future of ELAWC — it supports thousands of individual transformations, positively impacting the future of families and communities.
There are a limited number of permanent naming and recognition opportunities throughout the Center, including:
> Community Room
> Children’s Corner
> HIV Navigation Center
> Healing Support Room
> Empowerment Group Room
> Health and Well-being Room
> Healing Garden
> Mural de Milagros
> Bienvenidos Welcome Lounge
> Promotora Institute
> Second Floor Breezeway
> Self-care & Break Lounge
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WAYS TO CONTRIBUTE Contact Heidy Rodriguez at hrodriguez@elawc.org or visit elawc.org/forever-home
Gifts can be made in the name of an individual or corporate donor, or in honor or memory of a loved one.
Thank you for investing in the future and ELAWC
