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Sponsored by: Interval House
October 31, 2022 2022 Giving Guide

Interval House

Mission:

Interval House is dedicated to ending domestic violence and providing services that prevent and break the cycle of family and intimate partner abuse. We strive to reach all at-risk persons and bring about social change.

Who are you helping, and how?

Founded in 1977, Interval House is the largest agency in Connecticut dedicated to ending domestic violence, offering free, compassionate services to victims in 24 cities and towns both east and west of the Connecticut River.

From its grassroots beginnings in the basement of Asylum Hill Congregational Church by women who wanted to help those silently suffering, Interval House has long been committed to empowering clients, providing a nurturing and encouraging environment for victims to heal and reclaim their lives as survivors. Because the dynamics of domestic violence are complex and highly situational, our comprehensive intervention and support program is tailored to meet clients’ specific needs and support their journeys to self-sufficient lives free from violence and fear.

Interval House’s 27 program advocates and six administrators provide non-stop hotline response; safety planning and counseling; emergency safe house shelter; law enforcement coordination to reach high risk victims; English, Spanish, and LGBTQIA+ support groups; court and legal advocacy; children’s programming; and community education.

Fundraising Events/Opportunities

Domestic Violence Awareness Month is observed in October. "Purple with a Purpose" is a month-long awareness and fundraising campaign takes place online while several in-person events are offered, including:

October 23 - Jennifer Farber Dulos Memorial Walk to End Domestic Violence at Dunkin' Donuts Park in Hartford

November 3 - Breakfast with Champions at The Riverview in Simsbury

More event details are available on our website. To inquire about sponsoring this highly visible and vital campaign, call Amanda Delaura at 860-838-8461.

And save the date for Step Up & Step Out: Cocktails for a Cause at The Society Room on April 20, 2023! Raise a glass to survivors and raise funds for our clients at this evening affair with heavy hors d'oeuvres, cocktails, live music, drawings and more! Details and tickets available at our website. To sponsor the event, call Amanda Delaura.

Giving Opportunities

Interval House cannot help victims without your support! We accept three types of donations:

Financial Gifts: A gift of unrestricted funds now or a bequest from your estate will make the biggest impact on our work. Donate online at IntervalHouseCT.org/donate or mail a check.

Gift Cards: Help our clients regain control of their lives. Gift cards allow survivors to choose what clothes they wear, what hygiene products they use, and what food will nourish their families. Cards in $25 increments to grocery stores, Walmart, Target, Walgreen's or CVS are most useful and can be mailed to our address.

Goods: We stock our safe house via an Amazon Wish List. This registry allows us to keep our location confidential and also request specific items when needed in real-time. More details are available at IntervalHouseCT.org/Get-Involved/Wish-List.

Please note: Due to the sensitive nature of our work and our confidential location, we do not accept in-person donations of food, clothing, toys, health/beauty items, etc. If you are a group looking to hold a drive to support our clients, please email Hailey Boucher at h.b@intervalhousect.org to understand our current needs and discuss pick-up options.

Post-pandemic

Demand for our domestic violence services during the onset of the pandemic was unrelenting. Calls for help skyrocketed, shelter requests soared and the limitations of the community at-large strained our staff, forcing us to go beyond budget and mission to ensure every client had support. From July 2020 to June 2022, the amount of assistance funds we provided for hotel stays, security deposits, rent, food, legal fees, and transportation to ensure clients could move on from violent homes and maintain their independence was a staggering $1,138,162.

Though many will tell you the pandemic is over, persistent societal and economic challenges stemming from this “rare” event have presented challenges never before faced by Interval House. It proved what we long suspected—that we are too leanly staffed to survive another extraordinary scenario like the COVID-19 pandemic. Even after the jaw-dropping spikes we saw during the onset of the pandemic, we are still providing 32% more bed nights and fielding 57% more incoming hotline calls than we did before. Our clients are facing more complex issues and need longer stays in shelter and more intense counseling to get their next steps in place. We are meeting the need, but at a great cost to our dedicated team.

It is clear that this expanded service level is unsustainable without correspondingly expanding our infrastructure. Therefore, we have undergone a strategic reorganization and are bolstering our team with more advocates, managers, and directors to ensure continued organizational strength. This summer, we welcomed several new staff members: two program directors, two development specialists, and a community educator. We are currently onboarding more advocates to address the counseling and housing needs of the families we serve. We are excited to be at a crossroads with much opportunity and power to address growing needs. And we are profoundly grateful to those of you who continue to support us as we confront domestic violence head-on.

"It is so incredibly heartwarming to hear what you are able to do and how you confront challenges head-on to make life better for your clients. I love, love, love that you have new plans for growth and sustainability. I personally understand the critical need for reliable, sustainable program growth potential, so I truly applaud your work!"

-Anonymous Donor