I was recently asked if our Community Partner Meetings were still relevant. After a brief pause, I replied yes, now more than ever!
The question made me pause for a minute to reflect on the 27-year history of these meetings. The second Thursday afternoon of every month since 1996, has been reserved for a time for those working in the DV domain to get together, network, share and support each other. While we have gone through many variations of our meetings, from education, to networking, to celebrating victories and mourning losses, one thing has remained constant, we met. Contacts were made, friendships were formed, trust was established, and informal relationships became formal. People have ebbed and flowed through the meetings, old friends retired or changed jobs (but still came), new people joined, but some people have been steadfast in their attendance- you knew where to find them on second Thursday afternoons.
I remember the first couple of meetings during COVID and how many people attended. How much we talked about the challenges the movement was facing, what we were experiencing during lockdown and more importantly, how we could continue to help support survivors. While the world shut down, the DV domain did not. However, as the months went by these meetings became more like a support group for those working the frontlines while still managing their daily lives and families. We met each other’s children and pets; we were allowed into each other’s homes, and we were there to pick someone up when they were feeling down. It was an honor to see the trust that allowed people to share their vulnerabilities with those in attendance.
Now that we are back to meeting in person, we have welcomed new folks and had the opportunity to hug those we have missed. We have gotten to know people outside of their ZOOM squares and learned how tall some people are while realizing others, not so much. It has been interesting to watch as we have slowly emerged from our hibernation to embrace our new “normal”. Our last several meetings have been so impactful, and it has been beautiful to be able to participate in them. The March meeting focused on Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI), because of the discussion at the meeting, HCDVCC changed our social media campaign that month to talk about the things we learned and how prevalent TBI and domestic violence really are. We also included signs and symptoms of TBI so everyone could be aware of them. The April meeting was a “Walk in Her Shoes”. We had two young survivors who found us on Eventbrite and came to see what we were about and how we could help them. Observing them participate in the exercise with seasoned advocates was refreshing, watching connections and immediate advocacy happening was amazing. The support they received from the advocates was just as important as their sharing their experiences with us. The May meeting centered around a Healthy Relationship presentation that was a direct result of a recommendation from the Adult Violent Death Review Team to include education on Healthy Relationships in every DV talk because how can you talk about DV if you don’t know what a Healthy Relationship even is?
Our June meeting will focus on the Domestic Violence High Risk Team and a new program we have established with our DVHRT Coach. Our July meeting will be an introduction to Neurofeedback and the benefits to DV survivors. August will bring our summer break and Fall is packed with exciting offerings as well.
Come join our meetings. Stop in and get reacquainted with old friends, meet new ones. See beyond the ZOOM squares to the actual people.
“But even with the inspiration of others, it’s understandable that we sometimes think the world’s problems are so big that we can do little to help. On our own, we cannot end wars or wipe out injustice, but the cumulative impact of thousands of small acts of goodness can be bigger than we imagine”.
-Queen Elizabeth II
About the Author
Sr. Director of Operations and Communications-HCDVCC
