The Survivor Emergency Relief Fund helps support sexual and domestic violence survivors with costs associated with accessing safety and healing. Survivors need financial support to escape violent relationships and access basic needs and safety for themselves, their pets, and their children. ACESDV houses a Survivor Emergency Relief Fund (SERF), (formerly named the Barrier Reduction Fund) to support survivors with costs associated with accessing safety.
Assistance available for one-time financial payment for:
- Housing/rent payments
- Essential and safety needs
- Counseling and healing services
- Utility payments
- Medical care
- Food
- Relocation costs
- Transportation costs
- Pet-related needs
- Childcare
With the Emergency Relief Fund, we have supported hundreds of sexual and domestic violence survivors in escaping abusive relationships, accessing healing services, and establishing safe and healthy homes with their pets and children.
After a sexual assault in her apartment, a survivor wished to move, but couldn’t find any help even after many tries. She reached out to the Arizona Sexual and Domestic Violence Helpline and accessed the funds she needed to finally feel safe in a new home. “The Helpline was my last attempt and I am thankful for all the support I received.”
The Survivor Emergency Relief Fund has been the only statewide, no-to-low barrier financial resource for survivors and an important tool for victim service providers. We are a statewide organization whose membership is comprised of the more than 40 sexual and domestic violence programs throughout Arizona. These direct service providers often work with our advocates to utilize the Emergency Relief Fund to support survivors they are working with in becoming safe and beginning their healing process. To date, the Survivor Emergency Relief Fund has been comprised entirely of foundation funding and donations.
For survivors and advocates requesting Survivor Emergency Relief Funds, please contact the Arizona Sexual and Domestic Violence Helpline at 1-800-782-6400 or through online chat www.acesdv.org/helpline.
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Donate to Support the Survivor Emergency Relief Fund:
Support from individuals like you to support the Emergency Relief Fund truly has the potential to save lives. All funding will go directly to sexual and domestic violence survivors in Arizona to escape abuse and find healing.
To help support sexual and domestic violence survivors’ need for financial and emotional support, ACESDV is working to continue offering the Survivor Emergency Relief Funds. Funds raised will help survivors pay rent, utility bills, and essential food and supply subsidies, among related expenses. The Emergency Relief Fund will also help finance groceries, travel and relocation costs, and similar essentials for support survivors access to safety.
Assistance for urgent needs related to the following categories will be provided on a first-come basis until all available resources are exhausted:
-Housing instability or insecurity, including emergency rent payments, deposits or other assistance
-Utility payment assistance such as electric, gas, water, etc.
-Unemployment, underemployment or essential service-related transportation hardships
-Medical Care
-Food Insecurity
-Pet-related needs such as veterinary bills, boarding, and/or pet deposits.
Please know that your contribution to ACESDV will be a qualified contribution under The new CARES Act. The CARES Act created a new above-the-line deduction for total charitable contributions of up to $300 per individual and $600 per couple in 2020. So now all tax payers, whether or not they itemize, will be able to deduct charitable contributions up to this amount.
$25 – provide a tank of gas for a survivor
$50 – sponsor a survivor’s medical copay
$100 – help a survivor pay their electric bill
$250 – help a survivor pay for veterinary fees
$500 – support a survivor’s rental deposit
