A Message from Emilee: Let's Continue To Create Change in 2023

Dear Friends of HAWC:

Happy New Year – and thank you for your continued support as we enter our 46th year on the front lines working to end interpersonal violence in our community.

The Houston Area Women’s Center is recognized as a leader in providing compassionate, expert support to thousands of clients in horrific, life-threatening situations – women, children and men – every year, through counseling, residential programs, legal guidance, education and community outreach.

A Systems Approach
But where our diverse, multidisciplinary team also excels is in translating what we’ve learned in decades of client service and applying that knowledge to concrete advocacy, public policy and best-practice recommendations.

Together, and with bipartisan support, we are transforming local, state and national systems with which our clients interact on their healing journey: the criminal justice system, law enforcement, the healthcare industry, state systems that support children and families, as well as the public education system.

We know that survivors of abuse are often failed by those systems that are supposed to be there to service and protect them. Too often, survivors fall through the cracks. Or, the policies and processes in place at these organizations do not address the root causes of violence or the types of interventions required.

Creating Change and #HAWCFutureForward
We have changed, and are continuing to change, the conversation – and in some cases, the law. We’ve made remarkable progress over the last 46 years: Through our efforts,

Police officers are beginning to understand the neurobiology of trauma.
We have a District Attorney’s office with trained advocates – Houston Police Department does as well.
Survivors can petition for and receive protective orders virtually.

With your investment, we plan on accomplishing even greater things as we go #HAWCFutureForward.

Education systems – elementary, secondary and even university-level – now have appropriate mechanisms in place to recognize and support survivors when they speak out. We advocate on policies that govern tenants’ rights and the availability of affordable housing – educating on the intersectionality of homelessness and violence toward women and children.

And, we champion the need for funding – state and federal and corporate and individual – to continue this critical work and alleviate the problem of abuse once and for all. We all must go forward together.

As we often say, our goal is to be so effective that we put ourselves out of business.

But today, we still count on and appreciate your support. We’re getting there, thanks to you. As you begin your philanthropic efforts for 2023, we would be honored if you would consider HAWC as a worthy recipient of your generosity.

Until it ends,