Every year, once we’ve compiled our previous year’s data, we like to share it so you can see the impact of your support. The numbers are important and telling, but they can never fully capture the humanity of this work. Behind every statistic, there is a person navigating trauma and hardship wrought by violence, and their story is unique.
Our work with survivors is not prescriptive, and our advocates work within the context of each individual’s circumstances. That said, our clients tend to have a lot in common, including remarkable bravery, strength, and perseverance. In 2023, we served 722 of these resilient and courageous people.
The following highlights from 2023 are top of mind as we continue to serve our clients and our community.
Our unique role
We are sometimes met with confusion about how our agency is different from some other local organizations. The Friendship Center is the only agency serving our tri-county area with victim services for those impacted by domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking (DVSA).
Many agencies play critical and valuable roles in our community. We work closely alongside many of them. Our services are the only services specific to DVSA. Other than dialing 911, we are the only place a person can call when they are in an immediate crisis as a result of interpersonal violence. In 2023, we received nearly 1,800 calls to our 24/7 crisis line and provided 7,391 services.
Our impact and our team
We implemented a new helpline and client database in 2023. Our old system was clunky and difficult to use. This new one has increased our efficiency, and the investment is already paying for itself.
Many funders require data to support their impact. Accurate data also helps inform our decisions as an agency and has confirmed what we already knew anecdotally: There is more demand for our services than ever before (check out our 2023 by the numbers infographic to see what I mean!). With a growing population and a greater awareness around our issues, we anticipate demand to continue rising. With that in mind, we were also thrilled to add another full-time advocate to our direct services team last year. We have 14 people now on staff, nine of whom are full-time.
Going home
In 2023, we had the opportunity to buy back the original Friendship Center across the street from us and rallied to purchase it by the year-end deadline. We raised nearly half of our total $600,000 campaign goal in just six months, and we will spend the next two years completing the campaign so we can install security features, ensure accessibility, and integrate our former home with our current technology systems.
Community support is what brought us into our current facility in 2007, and we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to build on that investment by creating a contiguous campus without interrupting our services. This project will help us meet the growing demand for our services and open up options to expand services that we don’t have the space for now. Please reach out if you’d like to learn more.
Education
Our vision is a community where everyone can thrive in relationships free from violence. Interrupting cycles of violence and preventing it from happening in the first place is paramount to achieving this vision.
We have been welcomed into schools throughout our service area to work with students who are eager to engage in conversations about healthy relationships. They provide us with so much hope for the future, and we are inspired by the increased demand for this program.
Finances
There is a concerning trend towards substantial decreases to federal funding for programs like ours. Federal funds are often fickle and restrictive, and we ultimately hope to move away from relying on them. However, we don’t want to do that if it means reduced access to services for our clients and community, so it continues to make up a large portion of our annual income. Adjusting to these cuts over the next few years will be tricky, which is why our community’s support continues to be such an important part of our budget.
Supporters like you provide us with the most nimble and sustainable source of long-term funding to meet the needs of our clients.
Federal funds prohibit us from charging for our services. Even if that weren’t the case, we believe that our 24/7, confidential services should be free to everyone. Thanks to your support, we are on strong footing to absorb a deficit this year.
Holding perpetrators accountable
Somewhere in each victim’s story is a perpetrator, and we work closely with our systems-based partners to hold them accountable. These partners include representatives from the criminal justice system and healthcare. There are a lot of people in our community who care about holding offenders accountable and seeking justice for survivors, and we find immense hope in that.
I cannot overstate how much we value your commitment to our agency. Everyone who has experienced domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking deserves support, and you ensure that our clients don’t have to go through it alone. You are a part of the ripple that will help us achieve our vision, to live in a world without violence and the culture that supports its existence.
I always welcome deeper conversations on these issues. I hope you will reach out anytime if you would like to hear more or engage in new ways with our agency.
Warmly,
Gina Boesdorfer Executive Director
The Friendship Center