We're getting through this together!
In the face of a global pandemic, and with rates of abuse spiking worldwide, our life-saving services for survivors of domestic violence have continued uninterrupted 24/7 this year. With your support we’ve been able to help more than 475 adults and children stay safe, healthy, and housed!

As we look ahead to 2021, we want to ensure survivors always have access to the support and resources they deserve. We are 90% of the way to our year-end fundraising goal. Will you help us get there by midnight tonight?
Reflecting on 2020
While this year has been filled with unprecedented challenges, we're reflecting on ways it's also been a year of unprecedented generosity, collaboration, and growth! Here's just a glimpse at what community support (and our team) have made possible.
Our shelter and hotline stayed open around-the-clock
Our advocates worked 24/7 to ensure survivors in our shelter and across the community always had access to the resources and support they deserve.

We made adjustments to our space so we could keep supporting families fleeing abuse, like installing mini fridges in each shelter bedroom to promote distancing.

Our dedicated staff continued to help families overcome barriers to housing and move from our shelter into safe apartments of their own.

We helped families stay housed, stable, and healthy
The need for basic support skyrocketed this year, and our advocates responded by delivering over 37,000 pounds of food, plus essential supplies like shampoo and diapers, to survivor families across the Portland area.

We also distributed hundreds of thousands of dollars in state and county funds directly to families, so they could pay critical expenses like rent and utilities to stay in their homes.

From our Advocacy Center and housing advocates, to our Domestic Violence Recovery Mentors and Health Care Advocate, every member of the Raphael House team has continued to be a lifeline for survivors across our community!
Programming adapted and went digital
Weekly support groups, one-on-one meetings with survivors, and even training for volunteers all went virtual! We helped families stay connected to services by distributing laptops to everyone in our shelter and throughout our programs.

With schools distance learning, our Prevention Education team also adapted to bring their consent and equitable relationships presentations to hundreds of students in virtual classrooms. And our Confidential Advocates stayed available to Portland Public high school students experiencing dating violence. We’ve even added a new team member, so we can support more youth than ever!
The needs of kids and teens remained a priority
Our team picked up lunches daily from Portland Public Schools to keep youth in our shelter full and happy.
We delivered countless activity kits to help kids stay busy (especially while their parent attended virtual groups).
Youth Advocates created fun (and socially-distant) activities for families in our shelter, like scavenger hunt bingo!
We took you behind the scenes like never before
More than 550 people tuned in to our first ever Virtual Gala in October! We used this exciting new format to show you inside our confidential shelter (usually off-limits to the public for safety) and introduce you to over 20 survivors, advocates, and community partners. Watch our three favorite videos on YouTube!
Our community partners have been so creative
Hundreds of individuals came together to collect $18,750 in gift cards so 375 survivors (including over 270 children) could get the perfect presents this holiday season. Throughout 2020, our partners took fundraisers online and countless businesses found ways to give even during the lockdown.

We’re overwhelmed with gratitude at everyone who has been there for survivors!
We worked with the media to raise awareness
With rates of abuse spiking since March, we shared widely about available resources along with the unique challenges facing Latinx and undocumented survivors, domestic violence during the pandemic, increased hotline calls, survivor experiences, and participated in a digital Coronavirus Mental Health Town Hall hosted by State Representatives Janelle Bynum and Teresa Alonso Leon.
We celebrated accolades and successes
Our Finance Director (and former Executive Director for 13 years) Teri Lorenzen was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Oregon Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence; Raphael House was named one of the 100 Best Nonprofits to Work for in Oregon for the 5th year in a row; we were once again rated a 4-Star Charity by Charity Navigator; and after narrowing from 233 applicants to 10 finalists, were deeply honored to receive an Impact Award from ninety-nine girlfriends! Watch our finalist video here with Executive Director Emmy Ritter (pictured).