Harris County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council

07/30/2026

Please help us keep OVW a separate office!

The proposed consolidation of the Office on Violence Against Women could lead to slower funding, less specialized expertise, and a weakened federal response when survivors and communities need urgent support.

Contact your U.S. senators and representative and urge them to preserve OVW as a separate, independent office. You can also share your concerns directly with the Department of Justice at [email protected].

Read more from our Executive Director, Becky Park: https://bit.ly/4wK8IoS

07/09/2026

Today, the National Task Force to End Sexual & Domestic Violence (of which NNEDV is a member) released a statement strongly opposing the Department of Justice's proposal to consolidate the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) into a new grantmaking bureau.

For more than 25 years, OVW has provided dedicated leadership on addressing domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking. Congress intentionally created OVW as a separate and distinct office because it believed that these issues required federal leadership, focused expertise, and sustained national attention.

This proposal would not only go against Congress' original intent for the office, but it would also be in violation of federal statute authorized under the Violence Against Women Act.

At a time when victim service organizations are already facing funding delays and growing demand, we must protect a strong and independent OVW.

Read the National Task Force's full statement: https://buff.ly/E3fz657

[Image description: Against a white background, text reads: "July 8, 2026. The National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence Strongly Opposes the Consolidation of DOJ Grantmaking Offices. National Task Force to End Sexual & Domestic Violence."]

06/03/2026

Grateful for the honest conversation on Hello Houston this afternoon

06/03/2026

Ending domestic violence will take open conversations with each other as human beings, without judgment, stigma, or fear.

This afternoon, HCDVCC Executive Director Barbie Brashear joined Ernie Manouse and Katharine Shilcutt on Hello Houston for a conversation about the signs of abuse beyond physical violence, the often unseen tactics of power and control, how to ask for and offer help safely, and the complex realities behind the question, “Why don’t they just leave?”

Thank you and for creating space for this important discussion.

05/27/2026

🧋 BOBA & THE “TEA” 🧋
Teens ages 14–18 — we want to hear what you really think about dating + healthy relationships.
Join us for a teen focus group with free boba + snacks and a $20 gift card for participating.
🗓️ Saturday, June 6
⏰ 12:00–2:00 PM
This is a judgment-free space — no pressure to share anything personal. Just come ready to share your thoughts and opinions.
🔗 Sign up through the link in bio
Can’t make it? You can still sign up to hear about future teen events!

05/22/2026

“Someone who will not let it go.”

At the HCDVCC Brain Health + Survivor Safety convening, Fort Bend Women’s Center CEO Josh Brown rallied us to champion the work we care about.

Many of the programs we rely on today were built because someone championed them. Someone saw a need and kept going until they built it, grew it, and it caught on.

🏆 Tag or text a champion in your life today!

05/13/2026

Helping others is hard work. You don’t have to carry it alone.
📣 TOMORROW! Join Thecia Jenkins for a conversation on practical self-care for helpers and advocates showing up every day for others.
📍 May 14 | 2:30 PM | 50 Waugh Dr.
Come connect, share resources, and be in community.

05/12/2026

Recent domestic violence homicides have devastated our community.
We’re grateful to and for creating a space for hard community conversations.
Our Executive Director, Barbie Brashear, joined Houston Matters to talk honestly about survivor safety in Harris County, a system under pressure, and what it takes to prevent violence before it turns fatal.
Find the full conversation at the link in our bio.

05/11/2026

💜 This weekend, we had the joy of delivering handmade cookies to our growing crew of Secret Sisters.

Secret Sisters are a community of donors supporting the Survivor Safety Fund, a program at the Harris County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council that provides direct, flexible cash assistance to survivors facing the highest risks so they can secure what they need to get or stay safe.

🌸 In honor of the mothers, protectors, and survivors in our lives, HCDVCC volunteers Laura and Alpa baked these homemade cookies as a small celebration of the care that holds communities together every day.

Donate at the link in our bio to join us! Because safety is built in community.

05/10/2026

Today we’re thinking about the people who hold everything together.

And the reality is too many mothers are doing that while navigating violence, with limited options and very little support.

The impact is real.
70% of homeless mothers report physical abuse by a partner.
Homicide is the leading cause of death for pregnant women.

At the same time, survivors often have just $250 in savings, and need a few hundred more to get to safety.

That gap is where the Survivor Safety Fund comes in.

Since 2017, this fund has provided flexible, rapid support so survivors can get safe, stabilize, and begin to rebuild, covering urgent needs like lodging, transportation, childcare, food, and more.

It’s not everything. But it’s something real. And it works.

This Mother’s Day, one way to show up is by helping make those options possible for someone else.

Donate at hcdvcc.org/ssf (Linked in bio)

Invest in protection. support. justice. survivors.
You give. Survivors get safe. No barriers.