November 2022: Letter from the Director

Dear Friends of SARA,

November, it goes without saying, is a month of gratitude and thanksgiving. November is also a month of activism through our most sacred civil right: voting. While voting and Thanksgiving have caused more than a few family arguments around the table, I see gratitude and activism in a very connected way. One is reflecting on the present and past, the other is planning for the future.

When I consider the critical and difficult work our SARA staff do every day, I am filled with gratitude; and I know it requires activism to ensure that funding and resources are there to continue to fuel the work. Most of our grant funding is determined by the delegates and senators in the Virginia legislative body. Having representatives who support SARA’s mission and those of our sister organizations around the state make a critical difference. Gratitude and activism.

I am grateful to walk into work each day knowing we have a community behind us that supports our mission to end sexual violence; and because we know that violence and oppression are intersectional, we advocate for racial justice, economic justice, reproductive justice, and trans & queer justice. Having leaders who create policies with that understanding in mind directly impacts how we are able to serve our community. Gratitude and activism.

Never doubt that your support—be it financial support, activism, volunteerism, and yes, even your vote—has the power to directly and positively impact the lives of survivors and a future free from violence.

Always with gratitude,

Renee