10/12/2026
Dear Friends and Supporters,
Everyone Knows Someone.
A mother trying to find a safe home for her children. A woman rebuilding her confidence after years of abuse. A family starting over with little more than the belongings they can carry.
Domestic violence affects people in every community, regardless of age, income, or background. Yet survivors often face their greatest challenges after taking the courageous step of leaving an abusive relationship. Finding safe housing, securing employment, paying for transportation, and meeting their children’s basic needs can make the difference between moving forward and feeling forced to return to an unsafe situation.
During Domestic Violence Awareness Month this October, the International Safe Shelter Foundation (ISSF) is joining advocates around the world in reminding our communities that everyone has a role to play in ending domestic violence. This year’s theme, Everyone Knows Someone, calls us to look beyond awareness and take action: believe survivors, listen without judgment, speak up when something is wrong, challenge the bystander effect, and promote healthy relationships grounded in respect and consent.
At ISSF, we believe that every woman and child deserves safety, dignity, and the opportunity to build a life free from violence. Through our partnerships with shelters in Honduras, Jamaica, and Mexico, we work to strengthen local organizations and connect survivors with the resources they need to begin again.
Here is what your support makes possible.
Earlier this year, ISSF completed our Pasos Seguros (Safe Steps) Transitional Shelter Program, made possible through a $4,000 grant from the Northern California Peace Corps Association and a $1,000 contribution from ISSF donors and other income. This $5,000 initiative supported women and families transitioning out of shelters in Honduras and Mexico, including through our partners in Ciudad Juárez and Puerto Vallarta.
The program addressed a critical gap in survivor services: the period between leaving an emergency shelter and establishing a safe, independent home.
In Honduras, LegiĂłn Honduras provided hygiene and cleaning supplies, transportation and relocation assistance, and more than 60 mobile phones to women and families who lacked reliable communication tools. These phones help survivors stay connected with trusted family members, service providers, and legal and police authorities when needed.
In Mexico, our partners helped families with first-month rent, school and daycare expenses, hygiene products, cleaning supplies, clothing, and other essentials. At Compassion for the Family in Puerto Vallarta, one mother who left the shelter with her daughter received assistance securing housing and employment. She subsequently began working as a cook at the shelter while continuing her university studies.
These are more than supplies, rent payments, or a mobile phone. They are practical steps toward safety, economic independence, and a future filled with greater possibilities.
And we are not stopping here.
This November 25–December 10, during the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, ISSF will launch a fundraising campaign with a goal of raising $5,000 to continue supporting survivors as they transition out of shelters and to help renovate the newly purchased facility for Centro de Protección Mujer a Mujer in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico.
Our two priorities are closely connected:
Helping survivors take their next safe step. We want to continue providing flexible, practical assistance with housing, transportation, school and work supplies, and other essential needs that help women and their children establish safer, more stable lives after leaving a shelter.
Creating a safe place for the next family. Centro de ProtecciĂłn Mujer a Mujer has partnered with ISSF for years to support women experiencing violence. Following the challenges that required the shelter to relocate, the organization has purchased a new property. Renovating this facility will help strengthen its ability to provide a safe environment for women and children seeking protection and a fresh start.
As we reflect on Everyone Knows Someone, we are reminded that ending domestic violence requires more than recognizing that it happens. It requires believing survivors when they speak, offering support rather than judgment, intervening safely when we witness harmful behavior, teaching consent and respect, and ensuring that survivors have somewhere to turn when they are ready to leave.
We cannot do all of this alone. Our shelter partners bring local knowledge, compassion, and dedication to their work every day. Our donors make it possible for ISSF to help these organizations respond to urgent needs and invest in longer-term solutions.
Will you help us raise $7,000 during the 16 Days of Activism?
Your contribution, whatever the amount, can help a woman secure her next month's rent, provide essential supplies for her children, get to a safe new home, or move into a shelter that is better equipped to welcome families in crisis.
Please consider making a gift through our ISSF website and sharing our mission with friends, family, and colleagues. Together, we can turn awareness into action and help ensure that survivors know they are not alone.
Thank you for standing with ISSF, believing in survivors, and helping women and children across Honduras, Jamaica, and Mexico take their next safe steps toward a life free from violence.
With gratitude,
Patricia Gross, MPH, MSW
President
International Safe Shelter Foundation
issf-us.org
