The Catalina Island Women’s Forum and Su Casa are looking for domestic violence advocates on Catalina to help victims.
Su Casa and the Women’s Forum Domestic Violence committee gave the City Council a presentation on services available to Avalon victims at the council’s March 1 meeting. Four representatives of the group spoke for about 10-minutes.
Su Casa has a shelter, a transitional shelter, and an outreach program that provides services to domestic violence victims, said Lilly Lopez, Su Casa’s program director.
Lopez said Sun Casa is collaborating with the Women’s Forum to provide those services to Avalon.
The services include housing, and relocation, according Lopez.
“I’m hoping by the summer to come back and tell you that, hey, this is our progress,” Lopez said.
She said they plan to come to the Island once a month to let the community know that they are here to provide that extra support “with the assistance of the Women’s Forum.”
The Women’s Forum is looking for domestic violence advocates, who they will train, to have people on the ground in Catalina.
The Forum can accompany victims to the mainland to obtain a restraining order. The Forum can also help victims find emergency accommodations on the Island.
On March 24, the Forum will have a community building night at Avalon School, which will include a demonstration on how to prevent domestic violence and how to provide community support.
At present, the Forum’s plans are for at least quarterly (or monthly) presentations on various topics, such as suicide prevention.
Su Casa’s Program Director, Lilly Lopez and Andrea Olson, Denise Motter, and Tessa Hernandez of the Catalina Island Women’s Forum DV committee provided the presentation on the domestic violence services available to the Avalon community.
“Su Casa – Ending Domestic Violence is a nonprofit community-based organization dedicated to the philosophy that every individual has the right to live free from violence or the threat of violence,” according to the non-profit’s website.
The Catalina Island Women’s Forum is asking anyone who would like to become a domestic violence advocate may contact info@theciwf.org.
The Su Casa 24-hour hotline is (562) 402-4888.
