LATINOS IN VIRGINIA EMPOWERMENT CENTER
9513 HULL STREET ROAD SUITE B, NORTH CHESTERFIELD, VA 23236 www.latinosenvirginia.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: PROVIDE EDUCATION, ADVOCACY, AND SUPPORT TO SPANISH SPEAKING INDIVIDUALS AFFECTED BY VIOLENCE AND INJUSTICE IN VIRGINIA TO ENSURE THAT THEY CAN ACCESS SERVICES TO EMPOWER THEM TO BECOME HAPPY, HEALTHY, AND SELF-SUFFICIENT.

VICTIM/SURVIVOR ADVOCACY PROGRAM: ADVOCACY SERVICES: THE LIVE CENTER PROVIDES VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE AND THEIR FAMILIES WITH SERVICES THAT RESPOND TO THEIR EMOTIONAL, PHYSICAL AND CULTURAL NEEDS IN ORDER TO HELP THEM TO BECOME HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUFFICIENT. THESE SERVICES WILL INCLUDE PEER COUNSELING, CASE MANAGEMENT, PERSONAL ADVOCACY AND ACCOMPANIMENT SERVICES, EMERGENCY SHELTER, HOUSING AND EMERGENCY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. HELPLINE SERVICES: LA LINEA DE AYUDA IS A HELPLINE (804-658-3341) OPERATED MONDAY THOUGHT FRIDAY FROM 9AM TO 4:30PM BY BILINGUAL AND BICULTURAL STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS TRAINED AS VICTIM ADVOCATES TO RECEIVE CALLS FROM INDIVIDUALS SEEKING SAFETY, INFORMATION AND SUPPORT. OUR CONFIDENTIAL BILINGUAL AND BICULTURAL HELPLINE IS THE ONLY ONE OF ITS KIND IN VIRGINIA BECAUSE WE CAN GUARANTEE THAT OUR LINES ARE ALWAYS ANSWERED BY A TRAINED ADVOCATE THAT SPEAKS SPANISH. VICTIMS THAT CALL OUR HELPLINE WORK WITH OUR ADVOCATES TO DEVELOP SAFETY PLANS, ACCESS CULTURALLY RELEVANT SERVICES AND INCREASE THEIR SOCIAL SUPPORT NETWORKS. OUR REFERRAL PROCESS IS NOT JUST TO PROVIDE PHONE NUMBERS TO VICTIMS TO MAKE THEIR OWN CALLS; WE ALSO MAKE THE CALLS WITH THE VICTIMS TO ENSURE THAT THEY CAN BREAK THE LANGUAGE BARRIER AND PROVIDE EXPLANATIONS ON HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS IF THE CALLER IS HAVING A HARD TIME UNDERSTANDING DUE TO CULTURAL DIFFERENCE

VICTIM ADVOCATE PROGRAM: THIS PROGRAM BUILDS ON THE NATURAL STRENGTHS OF LATINOS AND CREATES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SPANISH SPEAKERS TO ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE IN CREATING CHANGE WITHIN THE LATINO COMMUNITY. THIS IS A VOLUNTEER PROGRAM THAT ORGANIZES AND TRAINS SPANISH SPEAKERS FROM THE COMMUNITY WHO ARE COMMITTED TO TAKING ACTIONS THAT SUPPORT THE LIVE CENTER'S MISSION. OUR HIGHLY TRAINED VOLUNTEERS ARE ABLE TO: O SUPPORT VICTIMS WHO CALL LA LINEA DE AYUDA.O LEAD AND IMPLEMENT COMMUNITY ACTION PROJECTS THAT REFLECT IMPORTANT TOPICS FOR SPANISH-SPEAKING VICTIMS AND THEIR FAMILIES IN VIRGINIA. O CONNECT AND ACCESS TO RESOURCES TO HELP VICTIMS.O PARTICIPATE IN OUTREACH AND EDUCATION ACTIVITIES.

EDUCATION AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM: THE CENTER IS COMMITTED TO TRANSFORMING THE WHOLE COMMUNITY BY HELPING TO IMPROVE THE WAY THEY ADDRESS THE ISSUES OF VIOLENCE IN THE LATINO COMMUNITY. THAT'S THE REASON THAT IN ADDITION TO OUR ADVOCACY AND VICTIM ADVOCATE PROGRAM, WE FOCUS ON COMMUNITY INITIATIVES. THESE INITIATIVES INCLUDE PARTICIPATION IN TASKFORCES AND COMMITTEES TO BRING THE VOICE OF LATINO COMMUNITY TO THOSE SETTINGS, CREATING MULTILINGUAL SPACES THAT PROMOTE THAT MONOLINGUAL SPEAKERS CAN INTERACT AND BUILD RELATIONSHIPS, AND PROVIDING TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR OTHER AGENCIES AND PROFESSIONALS IN THE COMMUNITY. THE LIVE CENTER HAS AN 11 YEAR HISTORY OF WORKING WITH LATINO FAMILIES AFFECTED BY VIOLENCE, AND A COMBINED 100+ YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AMONG ITS TEAM MEMBERS. REGARDLESS OF THE QUANTITY AND QUALITY OF EXPERIENCE, WE RECOGNIZE THAT WE CANNOT FULFILL OUR MISSION BY OURSELVES AND WE WISH TO EXTEND IT BY TRAINING THOSE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES TO DO THE JOB OF "HEALING FAMILIES, AND ENDING VIOLENCE". THE LIVE CENTER CONTRIBUTES TO FILLING THE GAPS OF SERVICES FOR SPANISH-SPEAKING VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE BY FOLLOWING THE EVIDENCE-BASED MODEL OF LIDERES AND PROMOTORES, DEVELOPED BY CASA DE ESPERANZA. THIS IS A PEER MODEL THAT AIMS TO TAP INTO THE ABILITIES OF COMMUNITY INDIVIDUALS TO SHARE CRITICAL INFORMATION AND RESOURCES, AS WELL AS BUILD COMMUNITY AND PROMOTE HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS. RESEARCH INDICATES THAT THE PEER LEADERSHIP MODEL HAS BEEN EFFECTIVE IN PROMOTING A POSITIVE CHANGE IN ATTITUDES, BELIEFS AND BEHAVIORS AROUND THE TARGETED ISSUE (IN OUR CASE VICTIMIZATION AND VIOLENCE IN THE LATINO/HISPANIC COMMUNITY), AS WELL AS INCREASING ACCESS TO RESOURCES AND KNOWLEDGE OF THE TOPIC FOR PARTICIPANTS (SWIDER, 2002). THE INTENT OF THE LIVE CENTER IS TO UTILIZE THIS MODEL IN ORDER TO DEVELOP A WORKFORCE OF BILINGUAL AND BICULTURAL VICTIM ADVOCATES WHO CAN SUPPORT THE DELIVERY OF DIRECT SERVICES TO VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE, WHO CAN PLAY THE ROLE OF EDUCATOR, MENTOR, OUTREACH WORKER, AND ROLE MODEL, AS WELL AS SERVE AS LIAISONS BETWEEN THEIR COMMUNITY AND OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS. AT THE LIVE CENTER WE KNOW THAT OFFERING CULTURALLY SPECIFIC TRAUMA-INFORMED ADVOCACY IS MORE THAN JUST BEING BILINGUAL, IT IS LOOKING AT THE ENTIRE SITUATION OF AN INDIVIDUAL, INCLUDING THEIR CULTURE, THEIR VALUES, THEIR BELIEFS, THEIR FAMILIES, AND SUPPORTING THE DECISIONS THEY MAKE. OUR HIGHLY TRAINED ADVOCATES AND VOLUNTEERS, ALL BILINGUAL AND BICULTURAL, ARE BE ABLE TO PROVIDE TRAUMA INFORMED SERVICES BY ACCOMPANY INDIVIDUALS AND THEIR FAMILIES THROUGH THEIR JOURNEY, FOLLOWING THEIR LEAD, AND SUPPORTING THEIR GOALS AND CHOICES. AFTER ALL, PEOPLE ARE THE EXPERTS OF THEIR OWN LIVES AND JOURNEYS. MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE LISTEN. WE MEET INDIVIDUALS WHERE THEY FEEL MOST COMFORTABLE; WE GO AT THEIR PACE; AND WE HELP THEM IDENTIFY WHAT THEY WANT, WHAT THEY NEED, AND HOW TO GET THERE. BY LOOKING AT INDIVIDUALS AND THEIR ENTIRE SITUATION, WE CAN IDENTIFY AND BUILD ON EXISTING INFORMAL SUPPORT SYSTEMS AND CREATE STRONGER NETWORKS.

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