COVID-19 Response

As the COVID-19 pandemic began to spread across the nation earlier this spring, the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) knew there was no time to waste; our team leapt into action, convening a rapid-response team of experts to coordinate and share consistent guidance for domestic violence shelter staff and service providers, reaching thousands of local, state, territorial, and tribal organizations.

We established one of the first national online hubs for up-to-the-minute COVID-19 information and resources pertaining to our field. Where there were gaps, we worked quickly to create and disseminate resources to help the field respond safely and effectively to COVID-19:

We created a resource for coalitions to use in providing technical assistance or guidance to local member programs.
We expanded our Digital Services Toolkit and created new technology safety resources for advocates, survivors, and their loved ones.
We created an FAQ guide on legal access issues during COVID-19.
We created a tip sheet for anyone looking to support a friend, family member, or colleague experiencing domestic violence during the pandemic.

Knowing that the needs in the field would only continue to grow as unforeseen needs continued to arise, we leveraged our national partnerships to support service provision:

We partnered with The Allstate Foundation to distribute more than $500,000 to more than 100 small domestic violence organizations to help them respond to emergency needs related to the pandemic.
Since frontline advocates were facing national shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE), we secured the donation of more than 180,000 KN95 masks, surgical masks, and face shields to domestic violence, sexual assault, dual, and tribal coalitions and local programs.
We partnered with Overture, a woman-owned promotional product agency, to launch a PPE Online Pop-Up Shop to sell PPE produced specifically for domestic and sexual violence organizations—ultimately bulk-ordering more than 1.1 million masks, 146,000 bottles of hand sanitizer, and 122,000 packages of disinfectant wipes.

In order to continue to raise awareness about the help available to victims—during the pandemic and beyond—we joined YouTube’s Project Lighthouse #ISeeYou campaign and PSA. Supporting survivors of domestic violence at this time has taken on a more urgent dimension, and we honor the tireless efforts of advocates, hotlines, and programs across the country who are working every day to support survivors in need.

“While the advice around the world continues to be ‘stay at home,’ we know that home is not a safe place for everyone.”

– Deborah J. Vagins, NNEDV President and CEO

The COVID-19 crisis is far from over, and it has created housing, childcare, financial, and other barriers that will continue to impact survivors’ safety long after the pandemic has ended. We’re committed to lending our time, resources, and expertise for as long as it takes, and we need your support to make it happen.