The 3rd quarter of fiscal year 2018 (FY18) kept Network for Victim Recovery of DC (NVRDC) staff and board busy. As those involved in crime victims' rights can attest, the month of April is rife with opportunities for connection, collaboration, and creativity as we participate in awareness events in our communities. It is NVRDC's relationships with community partners—both old and new—that made its Spring season as impactful as it was.

Continue reading to learn about NVRDC's hard work during April 1 to June 30, 2018!
Lindsey & Saron at the #MappingForward event on Capitol Hill on May 10, 2018.
Impact Snapshot:
April through June 2018
NVRDC advocates responded to the hospital 129 times to provide services to survivors

Of those survivors, 8.5% self-identified as male

Over 46% of clients who received advocacy services at the hospital self-identified as Black or African American

56 safe rides were provided to or from the hospital for services

NVRDC's Legal Services staff added 91 new cases to their caseloads

29% of new legal clients sought assistance from NVRDC for crimes other than sexual assault

Including 76 continuing cases from previous quarters, the total number of cases worked on last quarter was 167 —a 9.2% increase over the 2nd quarter

Another increase from recent quarters, NVRDC worked with a total of 410 clients between April and June 2018—that's a 19.5% increase over the 1st quarter of FY18
Welcome!
Late in the quarter, we welcomed Heba and Margo to our legal services team! Heba Estefanous comes to NVRDC as an Equal Justice Works' Crime Victim Justice Corps Fellow and Margo Badawy is a staff attorney.
#FollowFriday
Visits to NVRDC's Twitter spiked in April! We saw nearly 2,500 visits to our profile, which is a 230% increase over our recent monthly average. Are you following @nvrdc yet?
NVRDC @ NCVLI
Co-Directors of Legal Programs, Matt Ornstein & Kristin Eliason, presented on NVRDC's efforts to protect crime victims' privacy rights at National Crime Victim Law Institute's 2018 Crime Victim Law Conference in Portland, OR on June 7, 2018.
Eric's Story
Eric* was referred to NVRDC through the Victim Legal Network of DC seeking representation in a Civil Protection Order (CPO) against a former partner. Eric and the respondent had a short dating relationship and Eric ended the relationship with the Respondent. Eric told the Respondent she needed to stop contacting him through phone and text. The Respondent sent texts from unknown numbers, left voicemails, sent packages, and emailed Eric repeatedly. The Respondent also climbed over Eric’s fence, unlawfully entering his property.

An NVRDC attorney took the case and worked quickly with Eric to prepare for trial and, after a two-day trial, Eric’s CPO was granted. Not long after, Eric moved apartments and the NVRDC attorney worked with Eric to modify the CPO since his original address was on the protection order. The NVRDC attorney reached out the Respondent's counsel and was subsequently emailed by the Respondent, who refused to consent and threatened to file her own CPO. The NVRDC attorney filed a Motion to Modify and worked with the new counsel for the Respondent to negotiate a modification. All but one issue was consented to and the NVRDC attorney argued on Eric’s behalf. The CPO was limitedly modified and the Respondent signed a release of claims, reducing Eric’s fear of being dragged back into court on another CPO case.

*N ame has been changed to protect client’s identity.
National Crime Victims' Rights Week 2018
Click here to see pictures from NCVRW 2018!
Supported by the National Association of VOCA Assistance Administrators and the U.S. Department of Justice's Office for Victims of Crime , NVRDC was proud to develop a Community Awareness Project as part of National Crime Victims' Rights Week (NCVRW) for the 6th consecutive year.

In addition to the April 10 official launch of the Victim Legal Network of DC ( VLNDC ) (details on the event appear later in this newsletter), NVRDC held its annual NCVRW Twitter Chat on April 12 with conversation reflecting the 2018 NCVRW theme to "expand the circle" and "reach all victims".

On Saturday, April 14, NVRDC was able to expand their outreach to new communities thanks to a partnership wit h Collaborative Solutions for Communities  ( CSC ) to co-host a spring soccer tournament through their Soccer Youth Diversion Program. CSC is a local organization providing direct services and collaborating with youth, families and organizations for solutions that transform their communities.
NVRDC Board
Member Honored
Jane Lee receives
Financial Restitution Award
Our own Jane Lee, who sits on NVRDC's Board of Dir ectors, is part of a team honored with the Financial Restoration Award at the annual National Crime Victims’ Service Awards during this year's National Crime Victims' Rights Week.
NVRDC Board Member, Jane Lee: 2nd row, 2nd from right.
As part of the U.S. Department of Justice's Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS), Jane specifically worked to provide oversight and administration to the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund, which has compensated thousands of victims of international acts of terrorism perpetrated by state sponsors of terrorism.

Read the press release from the U.S. Department of Justice here:  Justice Dept. Honors Asset Forfeiture Program Team with the Crimes Victims’ Financial Restoration Award .
Outreach
& Training

NVRDC had an eventful quarter of outreach and training opportunities. During the third quarter, NVRDC staff participated in seven outreach and training events reaching over 125 participants.
Highlights include presenting at the 2018 Special Victims' Counsel and Trial Counsel Conference to members of the U.S. Coast Guard ( pictured above ) and, in May, participating in a panel discussion hosted by the United Nations Association-USA for their launch of the #MappingForward from Violence Against Women event—a grassroots project that maps stories of sexual violence in DC.
Policy Update
Supporting DC Bill 22-0780
On June 21st, Kristin Eliason, Co-Director of Legal Programs, testified in support of the Intrafamily Offenses & Anti-Stalking Orders Amendment Act of 2018 (Bill 22-0780) before the DC Council's Committee on the Judiciary & Public Safety . Kristin was joined by various DC legal providers in advocating for the proposed changes, which aim to increase the safety of survivors seeking civil protection orders in DC by making the legal processes more survivor-friendly. 
Co-Director of Legal Programs, Kristin Eliason, testifies in support of DC Bill 22-0780 on June 21.
Making New Connections!
Pro Bono Program Update
The Pro Bono Program expanded its training this quarter, offering information to Mintz Levin LLP attorneys of considerations when representing clients who have experienced trauma and launched the new Summer Associate Learning Initiative. In addition, the Program referred out 11 projects and cases to pro bono attorneys, making this a very exciting quarter. If you are interested in attending NVRDC's pro bono trainings or offering legal assistance to survivors, please contact charlotte@nvrdc.org .
Executive Director, Bridgette Stumpf, (left) & Dionne Lomax of Mintz Levin at a pro bono training in April.
VLNDC Enters a New Stage
Clockwise from top right: Alexandra Smith, Bridgette Stumpf, & Jabeen Adawi at the April 10 launch
In honor of National Crime Victims' Rights Week, NVRDC hosted its Official Launch of the VLNDC . With almost 100 attendees comprising staff from legal service providers, funders, and community partners, the launch event embodied this year's theme of expanding the circle to reach all victims of crime. The main goals of this event were to commence outreach to the provider community to ultimately serve more survivors and the recruitment of new network member organizations. On both counts, this event was a resounding success. Referrals to the VLNDC Navigator significantly increased in Q3 compared to both Q1 and Q2. The Official Launch was bittersweet as it also culminated in the transition of VLNDC's Project Coordinator, Jabeen Adawi, to the role of Clinical Fellow at Georgetown Law. Alexandra Smith, who has served as the VLNDC Navigator for the past year, is stepping into Jabeen's role. ...Read the full update.
Clinics Continue
NVRDC continued the bi-monthly call-in clinics, serving 20 clients during 6 clinics last quarter. NVRDC also held a Know Your Rights Clinic at Georgetown University in April.
Celebrate!
In June, a handful of NVRDC staff celebrated work anniversaries! Amanda & Ali marked 1 year. Charlotte, Ruth, & Kris celebrated 2, and Leise celebrated 5 years at NVRDC!
NVRDC Blog
Did you catch our latest blog post? Click here to read #MeToo on the Hill | Op-Ed from a friend of NVRDC features a Washington Post Op-Ed with a foreword from case manager, Audrey.
NVRDC Observes World Elder Abuse Awareness Day
In this quarter, the District's Coordinated Training & Response for Older Victims ( DC TROV ) project continued to work with the District's Alliance for Housing ( DASH ) through a sub-grant to provide for an Elder Housing Resource Specialist.

 Additionally, the DC TROV team is currently participating in DC's Age-Friendly Task Force on Abuse, Neglect, and Fraud , which will produce recommendations on goals to the Mayor in August. In June, DC TROV partnered with DC Office on Aging to host DC's observance of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15th. Outreach materials were disseminated to 2,000 local seniors at every senior center in the District.  ...Read the full update.
DC TROV and DASH staff partner to put together outreach bags for WEAAD.
Charitable Champions!
After participating in a beneficial therapy group co-facilitated by NVRDC and the Wendt Center for Loss & Healing , survivor Erica wanted to give back and hosted another clothing swap (the first swap she held was 2 years ago). "Swap for Survivors" brought together friends, neighbors, and co-workers to Erica's home for an afternoon of clothes swapping, drinks, and treats. After collecting donations from attendees, auctioning off a few higher-end pieces, and generously matching the sum, Erica and her husband raised almost $1,400 for NVRDC's programs for survivors! Thank you, Erica!
Involved in Hogan Lovells ' pro bono partnership with NVRDC, Alicia and her husband thought of us when choosing an organization to add to their wedding registry! By suggesting charitable donations instead of gifts, the happy couple was thrilled that friends donated to NVRDC in their honor. Thank you, Alicia & David!
Have an idea that could support NVRDC's mission? Email us at giving@nvrdc.org !
NVRDC Staff
from
April 1 to June 30, 2018
Jabeen Adawi
Margo Badawy
Nikki Charles
Kristin Eliason
Heba Estefanous
Sarah Foster
Leise Gergely
Amanda Gould
Naida Henao
Sofia Kaut
Charlotte Keenan
Kris Klassen
Vi Mai
Audrey Meshulam
Merry O'Brien
Matt Ornstein
Ruth Perrin
Maggie Schmidt
Alex Scott
Stephanie Shea
Saron Shiferaw
Lindsey Silverberg
Alexandra Smith
Bridgette Stumpf
Karin Tovar
Board of Directors
Ryan Guilds, Chair
Christopher Ekimoff,  Secretary
Marc Filer,  Treasurer
Blair Decker
Amit Juneja
Jane Lee
Monica McHugh
Liam Montgomery
Miranda Petersen
Survivor Support Fund
NVRDC is re-launching its Survivor Support Fund ! The fund aims to empower and foster resiliency among survivors of crime through their healing process by providing a supplemental fund. The fund advances their access to resources and opportunities, not otherwise available for them, in the hopes of minimizing the impact of trauma and alleviating any basic barriers towards recovery. Keep an eye out for client success stories and news about fundraising events for the Survivor Support Fund! Want to donate now? Click here !
Help us make a difference!
We at the Network for Victim Recovery of DC are committed to providing victims of all types of crime with a safe and supportive place to advocate for their rights and define justice for themselves.

We could not do the work we do without the support of our donors and we would love to add you to the list of generous people who are lifting up survivors and making our services possible. Click below to make a gift today!
You can also support our work by purchasing donations from our  Amazon Wishlist , which has items we often provide to survivors whose clothes are collected as evidence or to survivors who are homeless without access to basic toiletries.  
NVRDC's staff and board thank all of those who contribute time , financial support , energy , & love  to empowering victims and survivors of crime in DC.
202.742.1727 info@nvrdc.org   nvrdc.org
6856 Eastern Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20012