Make a difference
Thanks for your interest in making a difference! Here are 13 things you could do that would be really helpful:

1. Volunteer - opportunities at the San Diego Domestic Violence Council. Many of these are things that can be done regardless of where you live.
2. Make a Donation - Learn more about contributing to SDDVC, including how to make donations, how your money will be used, and what a difference it will make.
3. Become a Member - If you can't afford to make a larger donation, at least become a member of SDDVC, which is only a US$35.00 for organization and $15.00 individual annual donation. You'll have the option of being added to our email list to be kept abreast of news and events.
4. Have a party! - That’s right, have a party. Invite your friends and acquaintances to a bar-b-q, a costume or other theme party, or just an informal get-together. A SDDVC representative (or you with some guidance) will give a brief talk on the impacts of DV and efforts toward prevention. It’s a great opportunity to have a good time and feel like you are accomplishing something very worthwhile at the same time!
5. List local services - SDDVC maintains a list of local resources. SDDVC Council members who are logged into the website can add resources to this list, and also comment on existing resources. Also, you can add comments to any resources that are already there, describing what your experiences were like there.
6. Help Set up a Training/Speaking Engagement - SDDVC speakers are listed on the speakers bureau page. A primary responsibility of SDDVC to provide accurate balanced information to service providers, systems and the general public and conduct trainings on how service providers (social service, crisis lines, shelters, law enforcement, health care, etc.) can effectively and at low cost work toward prevention. By conducting professional presentations to such groups, we greatly expand services for under served victims of domestic violence. You can help, and it's easy!
   • Contact your local service provider - police department, hospital/health care system, district attorney, bar association, nursing association, physician group, university, etc.
   • Ask for the person in charge of professional education or training - Encourage them to contact SDDVC via the webpage speaker bureau and inquire about conducting a training or hearing from a speaker.
   • Don't forget venues that would apply to the general public too.
7. Join our mailing lists - Be connected with others involved in this field, and know what's happening around the local regions and nationally with domestic violence issues, and especially with underrepresented domestic violence populations. SDDVC Mailing List
8. Research Services - Do research and try to find local services that will serve underserved groups. Then suggest these resources on the SDDVC resource list.
9. Support others - If you want to help directly, and have experienced abuse yourself, join the SDDVC Forum, an resource for the domestic violence community.
10. Use the Domestic Violence Fact Sheets - The fact sheets provide the latest information and research regarding the impacts of domestic violence from an ecological point of view (i.e., the individual, family, community, and society). Please fill free to use them widely.
11. Contribute your time - If your professional expertise would help out in any way, your time could be a valuable contribution. Contact us if you're interested in helping out by donating your time or expertise. For example, translators could translate our publications into foreign languages, lawyers could offer some legal counsel, and so on. We are building a very active volunteer program, so take part in it!
12. Write about your personal experience in our Forum section - Help others understand this issue.
13. Encourage sites to link to SDDVC - Surf the web, find sites that might link to the San Diego Domestic Violence Council. Encourage them to link-up and stay connected.