DC SAFE, Washington, DC
This summer, I had the privilege of working as a Development and Communications intern at DC SAFE, a non-profit focused on safety and self-determination for survivors of domestic violence. I had an amazing experience and came away from my summer feeling highly invested in the organization’s mission and the people it serves. Every person I met who works at DC SAFE was not only kind and intelligent, but also invested in the organization’s mission of victim-centered advocacy for victims of domestic violence including my supervisor Bridget Claborn, Director of Development and Communications.
DC SAFE provides emergency services for survivors of domestic violence seeking help. Their Crisis Response Team is available 24/7, both through a hotline and to meet with survivors in person. DC SAFE advocates provide emergency food, transportation, lock changes, and shelter, along with guiding survivors through the legal process and connecting them to a wealth of other services. I felt that this organization did a lot to tangibly help survivors, and I was proud to be able to work for this organization.
As a Development and Communications Intern, I worked on the administrative side of the organization. One large project I worked on was a complete redesign of the organization’s website. This was an important project not only because the website needed an aesthetic update, but also because reorganizing it ensured it more clearly explained the non-profit’s programming and services and reflected where DC SAFE is now. My co-intern and I were given a great amount of autonomy during this project, and this allowed us to feel ownership over the final product. We went through the current website, rewriting some content so that it was more clear and concise, and chose an organization for the pages that would go on the new website. Throughout this process, we consulted with Bridget, who helped us with writing and deciding what content was most important for the website. Finally, we built the website, choosing colors, images, and graphics. Although the site was not yet live at the end of the summer, we were able to finish almost all of the website, leaving just the finishing touches for our supervisor.
I also assisted with all aspects grant writing, including searching for new grants to apply for, collecting materials for applications, and writing applications. The application that I worked primarily on was for a small private grant that would go specifically to paying for DC SAFE’s LQBTQ clients who stay in their emergency shelter. In 2017, DC SAFE housed 28 LGBTQ survivors of domestic violence, so I felt good knowing that this money can be used to support DC SAFE’s programming in a meaningful way. It was a fantastic opportunity to practice my writing skills as I was assigned with writing a complete first draft of the grant for my supervisor to edit. Other tasks I had over the summer included running the organization’s Facebook and Twitter accounts (finding and creating content), putting together monthly newsletters and new staff features, attending meetings and trainings related to domestic violence, tracking donations, and writing thank you notes for DC SAFE donors. I really enjoyed working on social media, because I had the freedom to choose and create content to publish. I really enjoyed making graphics and searching for articles to share.
While working at DC SAFE, I also had the opportunity to observe the programmatic side of the organization, which included visiting the Domestic Violence Intake Centers where survivors are able to meet with DC SAFE advocates, and observing civil trials for Civil Protection Orders at the Washington DC Superior Court. This was truly an eye-opening experience for me. Before this summer, I did not know the specifics of how domestic violence cases are tried in DC, nor did I truly grasp the difficulty of challenges faced by survivors. I shadowed an intake in which a young woman who had been physically abused by her boyfriend sought help from a DC SAFE advocate. I watched as she recounted through tears the details of his physical and emotional abuse, and the weight of fear and sadness she felt every day. The advocate connected her to a 24/7 mental health hotline, gave her information for an appointment with DCFNE (DC Forensic Nurse Examiners), and helped her type up her petition for a Civil Protection Order, which, if granted, would ensure that her boyfriend had to stay away from her. Then, this woman bravely stood and walked downstairs to go in front of a judge, who could grant her a temporary CPO until her trial date.
The resilience that this woman showed, even in the midst of all the pain she had suffered, was by no means unusual for DC SAFE clients. I saw survivors doing everything from finally seeking help for the sake of their children to courageously facing their abusers in court. I became much more aware of how hard it can be to be a survivor in our current society. Not only is there stigma, but leaving an abusive relationship often means leaving a stable source of income, or perhaps the only home the survivor knows. For this reason, in DC 22% of homeless individuals report a history of domestic violence. DC SAFE can house their most high-risk clients in their emergency shelter, and also connects clients to long-term or transitional housing programs. Further, DC is a city with large populations living in extreme poverty, with most DC SAFE clients coming from Southeast DC, the most impoverished areas. Working at DC SAFE gave me more insight into how DC operates, and the problems that need to be addressed within the city. Domestic violence work is often very specific to the area in which an organization operates, due to the fact that each state has different procedures and regulations surrounding domestic violence.
Upon returning to Williams, I hope to be able to learn more about domestic violence in Massachusetts, and what resources are available to survivors in the areas surrounding Williams. I hope to connect with the Elizabeth Freeman Center and perhaps help with their services or attend their trainings. In addition, as a WGSS major, I will be able to explore domestic violence-related topics in my classes, which includes taking related classes and perhaps focusing on domestic violence issues for future research papers. I am continuing to study on the pre-medical path, and I hope to work one day in women’s health, which I think could include helping domestic violence survivors who need medical examinations. I think having the knowledge that I gained this summer will be invaluable to any future career in the women’s health field. Domestic violence is an issue that has become extremely important to me, and one that I know I will continue to work to help survivors throughout my life.
This was truly a highly fulfilling experience for me. I felt honored to be able to support the work that DC SAFE does, and play a small part in helping survivors of domestic violence overcome barriers. I am so thankful to the Liz Gray Erickson 1989 Internship Fund and the ’68 Center for Career Exploration for making this summer possible. I am so grateful that I was able to intern at DC SAFE, and I truly loved this experience.