Resources

Meet Ali and Verenise, DAWN’s shelter leadership duo. 💜 Ali serves as Shelter Operations Supervisor, and Verenise serves as Shelter Advocacy Supervisor. Together, they help lead the shelter through a co-leadership model that supports both the daily needs of shelter life and the advocacy needs of survivors and families. Shelter work is full of moving pieces, quiet moments, urgent needs, and deep care. Ali and Verenise bring steady leadership, collaboration, and heart to that work. We’re grateful for this dynamite duo and the way they show up for DAWN’s shelter community. #DAWN #TeamDAWN #ShelterLeadership #SupportSurvivors #DomesticViolenceAwareness

DAWN’s admin and operations team recently gathered for tea at Sweet Themes. 🫖💜 So much of survivor support depends on the work people may not always see: keeping things organized, coordinated, scheduled, stocked, answered, processed, and moving. DAWN leadership created this time as an opportunity for staff to pause, connect, and spend time together outside of the daily pace of the work. This team helps hold the structure that allows DAWN’s services to continue each day, and we’re grateful for the people who keep so much going behind the scenes. #DAWN #TeamDAWN #StaffAppreciation #NonprofitLife #SupportSurvivors

A little normal goes a long way. 💜 Right now, DAWN is looking for coffee makers and little kids’ bikes for our shelter. Coffee makers help bring a small comfort to adults navigating long, stressful days. Little bikes give children staying with us a chance to play, move, and feel like kids. These may seem like simple items, but in shelter, simple comforts can mean a lot. If you have a new or gently used coffee maker or a toddler/little kids’ bike to gift, we would be so grateful. To coordinate drop-off, please contact us at development@dawnrising.org Thank you for helping make shelter feel a little more like safety, comfort, and childhood. 💜 #SupportSurvivors #DomesticViolenceAwareness #DAWN #CommunitySupport #ShelterNeeds #KingCounty #GiveLocal

DAWN’s direct service staff recently spent time together for a CPR class, followed by a sound bath at More Than Rocks in Kent. 💜 This work asks a lot of the people who do it. Our advocates show up for survivors with care, steadiness, and compassion, often in very difficult moments. As a small gesture of appreciation, DAWN leadership created space for staff to learn together, breathe together, and reconnect as a team. Supporting survivors also means supporting the people who walk alongside them every day. We’re grateful for this team and the heart they bring to DAWN’s mission. #DAWN #TeamDAWN #StaffCare #SupportSurvivors #DomesticViolenceAdvocacy #KentWA

This October, our community will gather to walk, remember, raise awareness, and shine a light for survivors of domestic violence. Join DAWN at one of this year’s Purple Light Nights walks: 📍 Sunrise Village, Puyallup: Thursday, October 1 📍 Legacy Square, Renton: Monday, October 5 📍 Kent Station: Thursday, October 8 These events are pet-friendly, community-centered, and open to anyone who wants to stand with survivors. Want to help make Purple Light Nights happen? We’re looking for volunteers. Join us for the Purple Light Nights committee meeting on July 15 at 4:30 PM at Mama Storti’s Restaurant. More details coming soon. For now, save the date and help us spread the word. 💜 #PurpleLightNights #DomesticViolenceAwareness #SupportSurvivors #DAWN #KentWA #RentonWA #PuyallupWA #DVAM

+1

If you are afraid to leave because of your pet, you are not alone. For many survivors, pets are family, comfort, and sometimes the only steady source of love in an unsafe situation. DAWN’s shelter is pet-friendly because we believe survivors should not have to choose between their safety and leaving a beloved animal behind. One survivor recently shared that we helped them and their children feel cared for, respected, and supported, and that our staff showed that same care to their dogs. 🥰 Through support from the OVC Pet Shelter grant and help from friends like you, DAWN is able to strengthen this work and help more survivors seek safety with their pets by their side. Your pets matter here. Your safety matters here. Your whole family matters here. #DAWNRising #PetFriendlyShelter #SupportSurvivors #TraumaInformedCare #CommunityCare

Service Spotlight: 24-Hr Advocacy & Support Line A call to DAWN does not have to mean someone is ready to leave. Sometimes it means they are scared and need to hear a calm voice. Sometimes it means they need help making a safety plan. Sometimes it means they left years ago and something has brought the trauma back. Sometimes it means they are not sure what counts as abuse, but they know something does not feel right. DAWN’s 24-Hr Advocacy & Support Line exists for those moments. Our trained advocates are available day and night to offer support, information, resources, safety planning, and connection to advocacy services. For survivors: You do not have to have everything figured out before you call. You will not be judged. You will be met with care. For supporters: This is what your gift makes possible. A real person answering. A survivor being believed. A safer next step beginning with one call.www.dawnrising.org 📞 425-656-7867 If you need an interpreter, say “interpreter” and the language you speak. If you leave a voicemail, please let us know whether it is safe to call you back. You are not alone. DAWN is here.

This Independence Day, we’re thinking about what freedom really means. For survivors of domestic violence, freedom can mean a safe place to sleep. A confidential advocate. Help making a plan. Support through court. Counseling. Basic needs. Someone saying, “You are not alone.” DAWN’s services help survivors move toward safety, stability, and independence. Because freedom should mean safety.

When “Malia” moved to Washington from Hawai‘i, she hoped she was beginning a new chapter with her partner. Her mother co-signed the lease, trusting that this would be a safe and stable step forward. But the relationship became emotionally abusive, and Malia reached out to DAWN for support in safely leaving the lease. The very next day, the abuse escalated physically. Malia fled back to Hawai‘i to be with her mom and family, but another fear remained: would her mother still be financially responsible for a lease Malia had to leave for her safety? Because of donor support, DAWN was able to step in quickly. Our team advocated with the landlord, explained the safety concerns, and helped secure an agreement that released all parties from the lease. That meant Malia and her mom could walk away without being trapped by housing costs tied to the person who caused harm. Most importantly, Malia was able to return home to her family and focus on safety, healing, and what comes next. Your support helps survivors navigate the complicated, urgent barriers that often appear when they are trying to leave abuse. A lease, a co-signer, a landlord conversation, a financial risk: these details can become heavy locked doors. Together, we help survivors find the key. If you are experiencing abuse and worried about housing, a lease, or how leaving could impact you or someone who helped you, DAWN is here. You deserve support, options, and safety.

Last month, our Executive Director, Gina Finley, joined the Battlefield Addiction 5K Run in Auburn to support another local nonprofit doing meaningful work in our community. While she was there, the founder of Battlefield Addiction invited her on stage to share a little about DAWN and the work we do with survivors of domestic violence. We’re always grateful for moments like this, where organizations get to know each other, cheer each other on, and find more ways to support the people and families who may need us. Thank you to Battlefield Addiction for welcoming DAWN into the day, and for the work you’re doing through Family Addiction Support in King County. We were glad to stand alongside The More We Love, We Heart Seattle, and so many community members who showed up with care. 💜 #DAWNRising #BattlefieldAddiction #CommunitySupport #SupportSurvivors #KingCounty #NonprofitCommunity

💜 Want to stay connected to DAWN’s impact? The best way to hear about what’s happening at DAWN — from survivor-centered programs to community events and ways to get involved — is through our email list. When you sign up, you’ll receive: ✨ Stories of impact and hope ✨ Invitations to events and community gatherings ✨ Updates on programs your support makes possible ✨ Opportunities to show up for survivors in meaningful ways We respect your inbox and focus on sharing what matters — with care, transparency, and gratitude. 📬 Sign up at the bottom of our homepage: dawnrising.org Thank you for staying connected and for being part of a community that believes in safety, dignity, and hope. 💜 #DAWNRising #StayConnected #CommunityCare #SupportSurvivors #NonprofitImpact

LAST CHANCE to enter our High Flyer Raffle! ✈️ The odds are good, the prize is big, and the window is closing. DAWN’s High Flyer Raffle gives you a chance to win two round-trip tickets from Alaska Airlines to any destination they fly in the contiguous United States, Central America, and Hawaiʻi. A huge thank you to Alaska Airlines for making this generous donation in support of survivors. Here’s why you don’t want to wait: 🎟️ Raffle tickets are $100 each 🎟️ No more than 100 tickets will be sold 🎟️ Ticket sales close Monday 🎟️ Drawing is Tuesday at 10 AM at DAWN 🎟️ You do not need to be present to win Due to state gambling commission rules, we can’t publish the ticket link online. To get your ticket, please contact us directly: development@dawnrising.org or 206-459-9510 Support survivors, take your chance, and maybe start planning your next getaway. 💜 #AlaskaCares #dawnrising