Happy National Volunteer Month! | | |
“Volunteering is at the very core of being a human. No one has made it through life without someone else’s help.”—Heather French Henry
This April, we’re honoring the core of My Sister’s Place (MSP)— our incredible community and our volunteers. Your time, compassion, and commitment open doors for survivors and their families to find not only safety but also to build empowered lives for generations to come.
Whether you attended our events, conduct your own fundraisers, support survivors in your personal circles, provide in-kind donations, or work behind the scenes, your impact is profoundly felt every single day.
From all of us at MSP, thank you for consistently showing up. As we face deep government funding cuts, we need volunteers more than ever to provide housing and services to survivors and their children.
| | Meet Cassie! Our new Volunteer and Engagement Manager | | | |
We’re so excited to introduce the newest member of the MSP team: Cassie!
Cassie has over a decade of experience in nonprofit programming and a special passion for volunteer engagement and event planning. She was most recently with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, where she managed fundraising events in several states. She's here to help us grow, connect, and bring even more people into our mission while revamping our volunteer program to provide opportunities to help our clients and organization, coordinate in-kind donations, and manage engagement and fundraising events.
New Volunteer Opportunities coming soon!
Email volunteer@mysistersplacedc.org for more information.
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| Welcome Our New Board Members | | | We’re equally thrilled to welcome two exceptional leaders to the My Sister’s Place Board of Directors. These leaders bring their unique brilliance and passion to our mission. | | |
| Tameika L. Pope recently joined the board, she is a C-Suite human resources executive, bringing 30 years of experience and expertise in a portfolio of work focused on strategic human capital and talent management, including recruitment, employee development, employee engagement, diversity and inclusion, organization development consulting, corporate training, human resources policy, and executive coaching. | | Currently, Tameika serves as the Deputy Director and Chief Human Resources Officer for the Federal Reserve Board of Governors in Washington, DC, which has oversight responsibility for the United States Federal Reserve System, also known as the U.S. Central Bank. | | |
| Also, Jan Dominick Levine, MSHA, FACHE, CMPE, joined us last month. She is a prominent healthcare executive with extensive expertise in women’s health, neurology, and cardiology and a proven track record of successfully leading large, complex medical groups. She is passionate about collaboration, innovation, and developing better systems for patients and providers. | | Tameika and Jan bring bold leadership, unmatched experience, and immense heart—and we can’t wait to see their impact at My Sister’s Place! We appreciate all of our volunteers. | | Join Us Tonight at Dacha Beer Garden, Shaw! | | | |
Come meet Cassie, the MSP team, and your fellow DC neighbors tonight at Dacha Beer Garden (Shaw) for a happy hour with a cause, bringing our community together!
We’re grateful to Dacha for hosting this fundraiser—all proceeds from wristband sales will go directly to MSP and will unlock happy hour drink and food prices all evening long, starting at 5 PM. There will be prizes for an MSP trivia contest and a 50/50 raffle.
We're also kicking off a pre-celebration for Denim Day, so shake out your favorite jeans and join us in raising awareness for Domestic Violence (DV) and Sexual Assault (SA).
“Denim Day is a cause that’s near and dear to me, and I’m so looking forward to standing with MSP to raise awareness and support survivors at tonight’s fundraiser.”— Cassie
RSVP here or just show up — we’ll be there!
| | A Season for Growth, A Call to Action | | |
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As spring awakens around us, it brings not only the promise of growth but also a powerful reminder: transformation is the result of deliberate effort. We see this every day at My Sister’s Place, where survivors of domestic violence take brave steps toward safety and healing.
With major funding changes affecting services across DC and the nation, our community’s support is more crucial than ever. Times of uncertainty and economic stress often result in increasing rates of domestic violence. Your action today can help ensure that survivors and their children are not left without options.
We’re launching our Sustained Spring Appeal Campaign in the coming weeks with a special opportunity: a $25,000 board match will double every dollar you contribute—helping us provide housing, counseling, job placement, and more.
And with Mother’s Day around the corner, you can honor a caregiver in your life by making a tribute gift. We’ll send a heartfelt letter by mail or email to acknowledge your meaningful gesture.
Our Spring Appeal splash page is also coming soon. Whether you're giving for the first time or deepening your support, now is the time to act.
Together, we are building a safer community for all of us.
| | Sexual Assault Awareness Month | | DV is a World Public Health Issue That Should Be Viewed as a Pandemic | | |
This month, we celebrated World Health Day. When people think of domestic violence and abuse, they often view it as a criminal issue. However, it is also a major public health concern that affects survivors and their children, potentially for a lifetime or even generations. When regarded as any other health issue, it would indeed be termed a pandemic that deserves immediate attention, funding, treatment, and prevention programs.
Prevalence: Domestic violence, including intimate partner violence (IPV), is alarmingly common. Globally, approximately 1 in 3 women have experienced physical and/or sexual IPV or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime. Each year, millions of women and men in the United States suffer from IPV.
Health Consequences: Domestic violence has severe short-term and long-term physical, mental, sexual, and reproductive health consequences for survivors. These consequences include injuries, chronic pain, gastrointestinal issues, cardiovascular problems, gynecological issues, sexually transmitted infections (including HIV), unintended pregnancies, and even death. Mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and substance use disorders are also highly prevalent among survivors.
Impact on Children: Children who witness domestic violence or are directly abused may suffer from behavioral and emotional disturbances, poorer academic performance, and higher rates of illness. They are also at an increased risk of experiencing or perpetrating violence later in life. Experiencing domestic violence as a child is an adverse childhood experience linked to negative health outcomes in adulthood.
Social Determinants: Domestic violence frequently arises from socioeconomic disadvantages and inequalities, rendering it a public health issue that necessitates addressing broader social factors.
The current administration's efforts to cut federal grants have significantly impacted organizations that provide crucial services to domestic violence survivors, including shelters, legal aid, and counseling. Organizations like MSP, which rely heavily on federal funding, face potential layoffs, reduced service hours, and even closures, severely limiting survivors' access to safety and support. Cuts to domestic violence services also exacerbate health issues and increase strain on healthcare systems.
| | The Most Common Form of DV is Financial Abuse | | April marks the 22nd anniversary of Financial Literacy Month, a time dedicated to promoting financial education and empowerment. Financial abuse, while less commonly understood, is one of the most powerful methods of keeping a survivor trapped in an abusive relationship and deeply diminishes the victim’s ability to stay safe after leaving an abusive partner. Research indicates that financial abuse occurs in 99% of domestic violence cases. As inflation, global events, and economic pressures continue challenging households, enhancing financial literacy has never been more crucial. | | The following are key concepts to keep in mind: | | |
MSP’s Financial Education Program offers personalized, one-on-one credit counseling, budgeting workshops, and small group cohorts to enhance financial skills and independence. Clients collaborate with MSP's in-house Financial Empowerment lead to develop strategies for overcoming economic challenges, such as repairing credit scores and addressing other barriers to financial independence. The Financial Education Program closely aligns with our Workforce Development Program and cash assistance initiatives to equip survivors with the tools and resources necessary for long-term self-sufficiency.
For more information on Money tips for Survivors of Domestic Violence, visit the recent blog post by our Financial Empowerment Lead, Saul Vasquez.
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U.S. Secret Service to Present Report on Domestic Violence and Mass Attacks
On April 23, 2025, the U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) will publish a major new report titled “First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs: A Case Study on the Link Between Domestic Violence and Mass Attacks.” This behavioral case study will explore the connection between domestic violence and large-scale public acts of violence.
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HHS Guts Sexual Violence Prevention Division, Leaving Local Efforts Adrift
It's sexual assault awareness month and HHS just gutted its rape prevention unit. The CDC teams that supported local sexual assault prevention groups were 'wiped out' in RFK Jr.'s overhaul of the Department of Health and Human Services.
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How Trump’s CDC Purge Will Affect Reproductive Health: ‘Women Will Die’
CDC staffers and medical experts sound the alarm on how the gutting of the federal health agencies will put women’s lives at risk.
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Domestic Abusers Are Experiencing Their Own Abuse With Virtual Reality
Inmates in Spanish prisons are experiencing the exact kind of domestic abuse they subjected their partners to via virtual reality.
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