The Spokane Domestic Violence Coalition is developing a five-year plan to end violence

May 19, 2021, 6:33 p.m.

Katerina Chryssafis

Posted: May 19, 2021 at 6:33 pm

Updated: May 19, 2021, 6:34 p.m.

SPOKANE, Washington. – Did you know that one in three women in Spokane County will be a victim of domestic violence at some point in their life? The same applies to 1 in 10 men.

It is for this reason that the Spokane Regional Domestic Violence Coalition is adopting a new approach to stop the violence.

It’s a really devastating reality and this pandemic didn’t make it any better. Because of this, they decided to work with several local groups as well as the victims themselves to come up with a better long-term plan.

“I think there is a sense of hope,” said Annie Murphey, executive director of the Spokane Regional Domestic Violence Coalition.

A feeling of hope for so many after a long year.

“We knew that the timeliness of this work could not be stopped for the victims in our community,” said Murphey. “I’ve had my own experiences with violence.”

This domestic violence doesn’t just stop even when the rest of the world closes.

“We heard from our YWCA in Spokane that the number of calls from survivors reaching out to them has increased,” Murphey said.

For this reason, Murphey decided to develop a five-year plan.

“We conducted a survival survey that included over 100 survivors in our community providing input and feedback on their experiences,” Murphey said.

After speaking to these survivors, Murphey and her team came up with goals.

“We believe that all family members have the right to be safe in their homes and that they all deserve these opportunities to have access to health,” Murphey said.

She hopes that access will help end the violence in our community once and for all.

“I think we all just hope now that we can continue this work and make real change in our community,” Murphey said.

If you or someone you know needs help getting out of a domestic violence situation, resources are available.