May 2024 Newsletter

Dear Friends,

As May unfolds its beauty, we find ourselves amidst a tapestry of celebrations, from honoring mothers on Mother's Day to commemorating a significant milestone—the 45th Anniversary of My Sister's Place!

To each of you who joined us in commemorating our anniversary event, we extend our deepest thanks. Your presence filled the room with warmth and love for our cause, alongside the inspiring speakers who shared their stories and the incredible fundraising efforts.

Through your generous support, we raised over $155,000! This remarkable achievement empowers us to continue providing essential services and support to survivors of domestic violence, guiding them on their path towards healing and empowerment. As Cynthia, our former client, now advocate and speaker at MSP’s 45th, shared:

“The experience I had at My Sister’s Place made me feel like I had a newly found family. The support allowed me to reclaim my independence, to rediscover my worth, and to envision a future filled with hope and possibility.”

We invite you to journey through time with us by exploring our historic timeline, spanning from 1976 to 2024.

See MSP's Historical Timeline

Proposed Budget Cuts for FY25

Despite the critical importance of Domestic Violence services, social safety net programming in the DC area faces a significant challenge due to proposed budget cuts for fiscal year 2025. These cuts amount to a substantial $2.524 million gap in funding, putting essential services like Access to Justice, DHS housing services, and OSSE’s Early Childhood Pay Equity Fund at risk.

At My Sister’s Place, we remain vigilant, closely monitoring the evolving landscape of public safety resources in the district. Our commitment to serving and advocating for survivors of domestic violence remains steadfast, even in the face of looming critical funding cuts.

To take action and write a letter to the DC Council, follow this link: URGENT ACTION NEEDED: Fund critical domestic violence and victim service organizations! (actionnetwork.org)

Mercedes Lemp, Executive Director, recently addressed students and faculty at American University about the potential impact of the proposed FY25 budget cuts on domestic violence programs in Washington, DC. The students' engagement and understanding of the serious implications of these cuts was incredibly encouraging to witness.

“Shelter is the number one thing and the number one reason somebody who’s abused might not leave because they don’t have the finances and the resources to leave. And if there’s no housing, where are you going to go,” Mercedes Lemp.

Lipsticks for NICU's

We're proud to announce we are launching a Mother's Day inspired lipstick project. Our renowned lipstick project discreetly embeds safety plans and domestic violence resources within lipstick tubes.

Historically, as detailed in our 2001 annual report, we distributed these lipsticks to beauty salons. However, we've identified a new demand for these resources within Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) across the broader Washington Area.

We invite volunteers to join us in assembling more lipsticks for distribution, recognizing the heightened risk of domestic violence for new mothers.

Volunteer Now

Thank you once again, friends, for your continued support. With hope and determination, together, we can forge resilient communities free from domestic violence.