At our annual meeting last night, we focused our discussion on how to talk to young people we care about as they prepare to leave for college about intimate partner violence. While sexual and dating violence have always been issues impacting college students, the recent media attention to this problem has left many parents and incoming college freshmen feeling a heightened sense of anxiety and concern…
We’ve talked before on this blog about the process of arriving at shelter, about the myriad of emotions and hopes and fears and reactions that someone can have when facing such a huge step. But have you ever wondered what happens on the other end, when they’re ready to leave shelter? As one staff member puts it, if it were a movie, this would be the…
A while ago, we told you about REACH’s federally-funded effort to protect vulnerable elders from abuse by bringing together community partners and improving communication. Here’s an update on how things have been going since then:
From time to time we like to pull back the curtain and show you a behind-the-scenes look at REACH staffers doing their work. This week, our Youth Education Specialist, Dani Patrick, takes you along on a day spent with teenagers talking about healthy relationships.
In honor of our next volunteer training, which kicks off this weekend, we wanted to use this week’s blog to introduce you to Micaela, one of the many dedicated volunteers who make REACH tick! Read on to get to know Micaela…
We’d like to let you know about some legislation that’s making its way through the Massachusetts legislature with potentially harmful repercussions for children whose parents have experienced domestic violence. Currently, the legal standard for custody arrangements being decided in probate court is what’s in the best interest of the child. Makes sense, right? However, there is a movement afoot to change that standard, so that it…
As 2015 began, New England was experiencing one of the snowiest winters in history! As record amounts of snow blanketed the region, work continued largely as usual here at REACH. Staff members hunkered down and got snowed in at the shelter alongside survivors, and the hotline continued to ring and be answered. In March, as the end of winter was in sight, it was time for…
This week’s blog post is by Deborah Heimel, REACH’s Director of Operations who coordinates our Holiday Gift Program.
Next week, REACH will host its annual Holiday Gift Program, which provides gifts to more than 225 families that have stayed in our Shelter or worked with a Community Advocate. We wanted to share with you a special thank-you note we got a couple of years ago that illustrates the impact these gifts can have.
A few weeks ago, a heartbreaking video made the rounds on social media, showing a Florida judge scolding and ultimately sentencing a domestic violence survivor to three days in jail for refusing to appear in court to testify against her abuser. While this story is an extreme example of the reaction they face, it’s not uncommon for survivors to have ambivalence about participating in the criminal…
