Over 5,000 Victims Served in One Day – Hundreds of Victims Needs Unmet

Austin, Texas – March 8, 2010 – A snapshot of the “State of Domestic Violence in Texas” captured in a new survey released today by the National Network to End Domestic Violence shows many domestic violence programs across Texas have a critical shortage of funds and staff to assist victims in need of services.

The 24-Hour Census of Domestic Violence Shelters and Services shows that nearly 100 programs across the state are serving thousands of victims every day in Texas.

On September 15, 2009, the day of the survey, more than 5,000 victims of domestic violence were served in one day.

Texans in need found refuge in emergency shelters, transitional housing and received assistance and services, including individual counseling, legal advocacy and children’s support.

Every hour — hotlines, which are a lifeline to victims in danger, provided support, information and safety planning to 83 callers totaling nearly 2,000 callers in a 24-hour period. Continue Reading »

Family Violence & Sexual Assault Survivors See Additional Housing Protections in 2010

Austin—January 11, 2010—New legislation taking effect January 1, 2010 provides greater housing protections and options for survivors of family violence and sexual assault.

The Texas Council on Family Violence (TCFV), the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault (TAASA) and the Texas Apartment Association, worked with State Senator Jane Nelson and State Representative Ryan Guillen on Senate Bill 83 to expand the lease termination option to include victims of family violence not living with their abusers and victims of sexual assault.

“This bill increases victims’ safety by allowing them to find housing away from their abusers without increasing the economic burden they face when they have to terminate a lease for reasons beyond their control,” said Gloria A. Terry, TCFV President. Continue Reading »

October 1, 2009—Austin, TX—Domestic violence is an epidemic affecting individuals in every community, regardless of age, economic status, race, religion, nationality or educational background, and one of the most chronically underreported crimes. One in every four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime. For this reason, the National Domestic Violence Hotline (The Hotline) and Capital Metro have partnered to raise public awareness about the issue by advertising The Hotline number on the sides of three buses.

“The Hotline is the first step to safety for many families in crisis. Since Texas generates the second highest number of calls to The Hotline and Austin is the state capital and our home base, teaming up with Capital Metro made sense,” said Katie Ray Jones, Director of The Hotline. Continue Reading »

Number of Statewide Family Violence Incidents also Increases

September 30, 2009—Austin, Texas—The Texas Council on Family Violence (TCFV) reports 136 Texas women were killed by an intimate partner in 2008. This represents an increase of 30 percent over the number of women killed in 2007.

TCFV released its annual Women Killed List today ahead of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month which begins October 1. Statistics for the list are compiled from the Texas Department of Public Safety (TDPS) 2008 Uniform Crime Report and ongoing TCFV research of news accounts. Continue Reading »

Austin—May 26, 2009—The Texas Council on Family Violence (TCFV) will host its first ever statewide family violence prevention conference entitled “Make It Real” from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., May 27-29 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 6121 N. IH-35 in Austin.

The “Make It Real” conference will focus on practices that stop violence before it begins using comprehensive, community-based approaches to change societal factors that allow violence to occur in the first place. The conference will give family violence practitioners an opportunity to connect and learn from one another’s experiences. Continue Reading »

Austin—May 12, 2009—Services for victims of family violence and sexual assault continue in the greater Del Rio area. The Texas Council on Family Violence (TCFV), in close partnership with the National Domestic Violence Hotline, Wintergarden Women’s Shelter, Southwest Family Life Center and the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault (TAASA), recognize the need to continue critical resources to Del Rio residents. Through this partnership, a network of services has been weaved together. Continue Reading »

Austin, TX—May 7, 2009—The Meadows Foundation, Dallas, and H-E-B, San Antonio, have donated $639,000 in 2009 for direct services to aid Texans seeking emergency assistance because of domestic violence.

The Meadows Foundation has awarded a total of $364,000 since January in emergency grants to domestic violence agencies, including $175,000 which will be used for the 24-hour National Domestic Violence Hotline (NDVH) in Austin. H-E-B has announced a special grant of $100,000, which includes $25,000 for the Hotline and $75,000 for shelter programs in communities served by H-E-B. Texas Council on Family Violence (TCFV) will distribute community funds. Continue Reading »

Austin, Texas—March 4, 2009—The Texas Council on Family Violence (TCFV) is teaming up with legislators, law enforcement, judges, family violence services advocates and interested Texans to send a message of support for full funding for family violence services. Over the past several weeks, TCFV has collected thousands of purple postcards from state domestic violence programs, survivors of domestic violence and voters. The postcards will now be delivered to legislators in the Texas Senate and House of Representatives to underscore the importance of full funding for family violence services. Advocates, allies and survivors of family violence use the color purple to symbolize their work to end violence within families.
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