How DVP’s Survivor Empowerment Groups Help Unleash Voices

At DVP, we’re known for providing high-quality legal services and public advocacy for our clients that help protect them and their loved ones from abusers while finding the resources they need. But these crucial interventions are just the first part of the journey. 

Our survivor clients do so much work themselves to rediscover their voices after years of being silenced by abusers. They use their newfound freedom to tell their stories and build their communities to protect others going through similar situations. 

That rediscovery begins in our survivor empowerment groups and workshops – but it’s a larger testament to the strength that all of our clients possess. They find it in themselves once they have the chance to identify and feel recognized by their community.

A Survivor Rediscovers Their Voice

For the safety of all involved, we’ve removed any identifying details about the individuals in this case.

DVP recently took on a client who faced repeated abuse by their spouse. Even after leaving, they were harassed ceaselessly and feared for the safety of their child. After meeting with DVP staff, we identified that the client was eligible for U visa status and proceeded to fill out a declaration on their behalf. But in those initial stages, the client often avoided talking about their own experience and instead discussed the abuse faced by the child.

Though some progress was made over time with the representation team, it was a DVP weekly workshop – our survivor empowerment groups – that became an essential catalyst for this client to truly open up. In these sessions, survivors gather and discuss their past experiences as a tool for moving forward and healing. This sense of camaraderie and community finally gave our client the confidence to share much more about their past abuse and provide the legal team with essential information.

By creating an environment for this survivor to recognize their power and rediscover their ability to discuss their past, the client finally could reflect, share, and move forward from the abuse. On top of that, the new information that was added to their U visa declaration greatly improved their case and potential standing.

How DVP Puts On Its Empowerment Groups

A cornerstone of DVP’s work, survivor empowerment groups and client workshops support survivors and help them build community as they work their way out of abusive situations. It’s incredibly important for these individuals to know that their experiences are shared by others, so facilitating spaces where discussions can be held without interruption, judgment, or intervention becomes transformative in the survivor journey to liberation.

Our groups and workshops are put on regularly and are led by various members of our legal and advocate teams. But though we are present and work hard in putting them on, it’s the survivors that participate and engage with one another that are the focal point.

Give to the Hope + Dignity Fund Today

More than ever, immigrant survivors like the client described above need support from community members like you. Your donations, volunteer work, and beyond provide the means to put on these essential survivor empowerment groups along with many other crucial resources.

Click the link here to donate to the Hope + Dignity Fund to support DVP’s survivor empowerment groups and help our clients rediscover their voices and their power. Plus, sign up for our weekly newsletter for updates on DVP’s crucial work and more ways to get involved

Learn more about how you can support survivors and their children to live free of violence and abuse.

Ways to Support