Family Refuge Center has been selected by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women to participate in the national Advocacy Learning Center.

The team includes Amanda Moore, sexual assault program coordinator Mercer County; Lindsey Wolford, lead sexual assault program coordinator Greenbrier County; and Stefani Keys, shelter director Greenbrier County.

Praxis International offers the Advocacy Learning Center (ALC) in partnership with the Office on Violence Against Women. The 18-month course is designed to strengthen how advocacy programs engage with survivors, address institutional responses to violence against women, and involve the community in ending violence. Team members travel to three in-person events and participate in numerous distance learning activities.

Family Refuge Center was selected as one of only 13 programs in the new class. They join 294 programs who have participated in the ALC since its inception.

The Centers for Disease Control reports that one in five women will be sexually assaulted in her lifetime and one in three women will be a victim of domestic violence. The programs participating in the ALC are working to end sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, prostitution, and human trafficking. Family Refuge Center is a non-profit organization committed to ending physical, emotional and sexual abuse serving victims of violence and their children. Services provided by Family Refuge Center include emergency shelter, a 24-hour crisis line, court advocacy, hospital accompaniment, tutoring, therapy, support groups, supervised visitation and exchange center and more.

Everyone in the community has a role to play in ending violence against women. For more information about how you can help, contact Family Refuge Center at 304-645-6324.