All of the frontline domestic violence and sexual assault crisis center advocates

The staff at the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence is proud to nominate all of the frontline domestic violence and sexual assault crisis center advocates in NH. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit New Hampshire in March of 2020, the advocates at the 13 crisis centers around the state did what they do best: they became more dogged, creative, innovative and dedicated than ever before. The people they serve were already unsafe; the advocates committed that victims’ lives would not become more endangered on their watch. COVID-19 profoundly re-shaped crisis center operations. During the first months, in-person advocacy shifted to technology-based interventions. In the face of victims being given the terrifying directive to shelter in place with an abuser, advocates swiftly sought new and innovative ways to connect with victims. They began using text, chat, and video services to reach victims who were isolated and scared. Some advocates moved their in-person support groups to an online format. When courts shut down or reduced hours, advocates partnered with the court system to pilot and implement a system that allowed victims to file a restraining order electronically and participate in hearings telephonically, helping many survivors feel more safe. Advocates developed these technology-based services while also working from home themselves and caring for their own families experiencing tremendous upheaval during the pandemic. Faced with limits on the capacity of their already tiny shelters, shelter advocates began placing survivors in hotels, a welcome resource but also a remedy that brought additional needs; in addition to safety planning, advocates found themselves delivering food, paper plates and basic necessities to victims trapped in a single room with their kids and without a kitchen. Calls to the statewide domestic violence and sexual assault hotlines skyrocketed during the pandemic. And yet again, advocates stepped up to take the calls. Advocates are the most resilient people we know and that has never been more evident than during the pandemic. Thanks to their willingness to embrace new technology, the commitment to collaboration that insured that system changes were trauma informed, and the creativity to provide services in new ways, victims of intimate partner violence in New Hampshire were still able to reach an advocate 24 hours a day every single day of the pandemic. The staff at the Coalition are deeply grateful to the frontline advocates of the 13 member programs of the Coalition.