Emergence
Building Robust Practices for Sustained Wellness, Connection, and Power
Emergence centers a simple but powerful idea.
If we want to sustain the work, we have to support the people doing it.
Right now, that means focusing on individual wellness. Not as a quick fix, and not as a substitute for broader change, but as a necessary starting point.
We are creating spaces where advocates can:
- Slow down and reconnect with themselves
- Practice healing and restoration
- Build creativity, reflection, and resilience
- Experience care, not just provide it
This is about making room for people to breathe in the middle of work that rarely pauses.
Register for Emergence Gatherings!
All helpers need retreat – time away from the crisis lines and advocacy pace to re-center, to try out different wellness practices, and to connect with others doing the work. The agenda for each of these retreats will be tailored to meet the needs of advocates, preventionists, and all helpers in this movement and in the moment.
Join us at one or all:
Roanoke: https://htru.io/SSqV
Williamsburg: https://htru.io/SVYR
Charlottesville: https://htru.io/SZAb
Advocates and leaders in the field of sexual and domestic violence advocacy, intervention, and prevention are invited to explore, create and manifest wellness-related intentions in 45-minute one-on-one coaching sessions so we can stay connected, well, and whole in this work – from the inside-out.
When: At a time that fits YOUR needs.
Where: Zoom
Register Now: https://htru.io/SSeK
Not a member but want to take advantage of member discounts? Join the Action Alliance today!
Why the Cicada for the Emergence Project Mascot?
The 2024 emergence of two broods of Cicadas in an area that included Virginia is a powerful inspiration for our own emergence from the darkness of the past few years.
When cicadas emerge, they make BIG noise. Their lives above ground are short, urgent, and fierce. They create what is called a “cascade,” disrupting their communities in small ways that build and crash through the entire ecosystem, creating positive change. Those small, cascading changes include aerating soil and helping plant life to thrive, providing an abundant food source for current and future generations of birds and animals, and moving nutrients throughout the ecosystem, leading to more robust health and wellness for flora and fauna alike.
Nature is a powerful teacher. Like the cicadas, we can grab onto the urgency of this moment. We can emerge from a period of isolation and division to come together in a powerful way and disrupt the ecosystems that support and promote violence in our communities. Like the cicadas, we can bring fierce spirits to our work on behalf of future generations.
Stay in Touch
Want to stay connected? The Action Alliance shares several newsletters that support the kind of connection, reflection, and collective care at the heart of Emergence — alongside updates on prevention work, policy action, trainings, and resources for sustaining ourselves and each other in the movement to end violence. Subscribe to one or all to stay grounded, inspired, and connected to communities creating change across Virginia.