Since opening its first shelter for people threatened by domestic violence in 1980, DVIP, now DVIP/RVAP, has seen the need for its services grow exponentially. The nonprofit, which grew out of an initiative launched by the University of Iowa’s Women’s Resource and Action Center in the late 1970s, now provides immediate and long-term crisis support services to victim/survivors of domestic and sexual violence in eight eastern Iowa counties. Over the last year, it has helped 3,940 clients.
In August, an important expansion of DVIP/RVAP’s safe housing program is scheduled to be completed. Created with support from the City of Iowa City, the Housing Trust Fund of Johnson County, the Iowa Finance Authority and the Johnson County Community Foundation, “the Row,” as it’s known, will consist of six townhouse units in two triplexes.
“The Row will expand DVIP/RVAP’s capacity to serve Johnson County residents by providing up to three years of equitable, stable housing paired with other comprehensive services needed for victim-survivors to rebuild their lives,” the nonprofit said in a news release.
“Providing stable housing support for the victim-survivors we serve is part of the mosaic of meeting the needs of those who need it most in our community,” according to Alta Medea, DVIP/RVAP’s co-executive director and CEO. “We do not have enough safe, stable housing in Johnson County or in our nation in general. Housing must be a priority.”
As the completion date for the Row draws near, DVIP/RVAP is partnering with another Johnson County nonprofit, Houses into Homes (HiH), to help furnish the new townhouses by holding a furniture-building event.
HiH “provides gently-used beds, furniture, and household items for families and individuals in Johnson County who are exiting homelessness, domestic violence, and other crisis situations,” as its site explains. It’s the only furniture bank in the county. HiH started in a garage in Iowa City in late 2017, and made its first delivery to a family in need in February 2018. Within two years, it had helped more than 330 households get the furniture they needed.
On Tuesday, Aug. 11, HiH will host teams of volunteers building dressers and nightstands for the Row. According to HiH executive director Ian Cawley, “dresser builds are a blast, fun for the whole family!”
“DVIP/RVAP has been a trusted partner since the early days of HiH, and it’s a privilege to help the organization and the survivors they support in this novel way,” Cawley said in a statement. “We know that the sense of belonging essential to the feeling of ‘home’ requires complete furnishings, so we’re happy to lighten the collective load in the best way we know how: inviting our community to build some furniture.”
HiH is hoping to have 18 teams of four or five people participate in the build. It’s free to enter, but teams must register online before the event. Donations can also be made at the registration site. HiH and DVIP/RVAP are hoping to raise $3,600 to cover the cost of the build.
DVIP/RVAP — the Domestic Violence Intervention Program and the Rape Victim Advocacy Program — provide support for victim-survivors in Johnson, Iowa, Cedar, Des Moines, Henry, Lee, Van Buren and Washington counties. Its services include 24/7 hotlines, shelter, safety planning, advocacy, trauma-informed counseling and emergency pet programs. Anyone in need of those services can contact DVIP/RVAP through dvipiowa.org or by calling 1-800-373-1043 or 1-800-228-1625.
