Sample Projects
These projects, conducted by RNEDV member task forces, are shared here to spark ideas for other task forces. Every community is different, but it is our hope that sharing projects as templates will strengthen our fellow task forces. The list below does not begin to represent all the work of the task forces but attempts to focus on a sample of projects uniquely suited for community-based work.
Community Engagement
“We have to build communities from the inside out in order to make change. And if we are going to ensure well-being and reduce violence, we are going to need thousands of people working on it – not just service providers, but community residents as well.” - Marcie Biddleman, Family Violence Prevention Fund
Police Collaboration/Guides
and Tools for Police
“I was new to the community and completely isolated in a remote area. I didn’t know of any help or any resources near me. The only help I could think of was to call the police.” - Rural Survivor
School Collaboration and Community Based Prevention
“Most prevention initiatives we see are great for nation-wide campaigns, but we don’t usually see rural faces in them. We need to create local campaigns that use community voices and are aligned with the community culture. Otherwise they just don’t land.” - Rural Task Force Coordinator
Faith Community Collaboration
“I have worked with rural domestic violence survivors for 25 years and the vast majority of my clients are people of faith. Many will seek counseling from their faith leaders or community rather than calling the police or a domestic violence agency. How that faith community responds can be either spiritually empowering for the victim, or it can be dangerous.” - Rural DV Advocate
Health Care Collaboration
Developing Services Accessible to Rural Communities
“He sliced her tires in the middle of the night because he knew there was no other way for her to get to court in the morning to renew her restraining order. Luckily she reached me and I was able to drive her there in time. It’s not unusual. I have another client whose partner siphoned the gas out of her car for the same reason.” - Rural Advocate
Courts
“She needed a restraining order, and the judge doubted her, wanting to know why she hadn’t called the police if she was really in danger. But in a rural town calling the police might mean calling a friend of your husband’s, or a neighbor, or the parent of one of your child’s friends - depending on who answers the phone. It could make things more dangerous. It’s hard to understand if you don’t live in a rural community.” - Rural Advocate