The Richmond Times-Dispatch Spotlights Virginia’s Survivor Advocacy Crisis
If you picked up this Sunday’s edition of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, you saw it right away: front page, above the fold. “Services reeling after cuts. Abuse survivors left waiting for support.”
That headline, and the story beneath it, brought the findings of our Survivor Advocacy in Virginia 2025 Report to hundreds of thousands of readers across the Commonwealth. It is exactly the kind of visibility this crisis demands.
What the Story Covers
Reporter Anna Bryson documented what advocates and survivors have been living for years. Virginia has lost 54% of its federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funding since 2020. As a result, agencies that shelter and support survivors of domestic and sexual violence are carrying counseling waitlists of up to 100 people, reducing emergency housing, and in some cases turning survivors away.
Behind every one of those numbers is a person who reached out for help. Survivors are doing the brave work of seeking safety and healing, and the services they need are stretched past their limits.
The article features voices from two of our member agencies, Safe Harbor and YWCA Richmond, alongside our Director of Mission Advancement, Jonathan Yglesias. Together, they paint a clear picture: the need is growing, the resources are shrinking, and advocates continue to show up anyway.
Our Thanks
We are deeply grateful to Richmond Times-Dispatch reporter Anna Bryson for shining a light on survivors’ experiences and on the tireless, often invisible, work advocates do on their behalf every single day. Thoughtful journalism like this helps our communities understand what is at stake, and it honors the people at the heart of this work.
Read the full article at the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
What You Can Do
The story documents the crisis. Here is how you can be part of the response:
Read the report. The full Survivor Advocacy in Virginia 2025 Report is available on our website, with data and recommendations for restoring stable funding to survivor services.
Speak up. Contact your legislators and urge them to prioritize sustained state and federal investment in victim services, including addressing the VOCA funding shortfall.
Support the work. Become a member of the Action Alliance, make a gift to support survivor services, or sign up for our newsletters to stay informed and engaged.
Survivors and advocates deserve nothing less than our full attention. This Sunday, they had it. Let’s keep it there.
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