A Glimpse into the Latest Goings-On with Emergence
On a crisp Spring morning in late March, 40 sexual and domestic violence victim advocates and preventionists gathered on the grounds of Roslyn Retreat Center on the outskirts of Richmond. The purpose of this gathering was to connect, learn from one another, and forge new paths toward individual wholeness and collective sustainability.
The gathering was the latest installment of Emergence, an 18-month project of the Action Alliance, which holds a simple yet lofty goal: foster workforce sustainability among advocates by transforming Virginia’s anti-violence movement into one that prioritizes wellness for advocates and the organizations in which they work.
Where did Emergence emerge from?
The concept of Emergence was borne from three needs assessments conducted by the Action Alliance in our field over the last several years:
- Virginia Domestic Violence Programs Needs Assessment Summary & Recommendations: On-site visits with 22 sexual and domestic violence agencies, where we interviewed 70 staff between April and August of 2022 about a range of pandemic-related topics, including workforce sustainability.
- Sustaining the Movement: A 10-Year Plan for Virginia’s Sexual and Domestic Violence Programs: A diverse group of sexual and domestic violence agency Directors convened to begin discussing the significant and ongoing funding and sustainability challenges faced by Virginia’s 70+ crisis response agencies. The group represented diverse regions and perspectives across Virginia with public and non-profit organizations represented; dual sexual and domestic violence and single-issue agencies; urban, rural, and suburban service areas; and collectively, more than 100 years of direct experience in Virginia’s movement to end sexual and domestic violence. Based on these ongoing discussions and rigorous data gathering, a 10-Year Movement Sustainability Plan was developed.
- Restoryation: A two-year assessment about the impact of the pandemic on sexual and domestic violence agencies across Virginia and the nation (Virginia was one of 25 US states and territories) that used art and storytelling to process what it was like to be working on the frontlines of sexual and domestic violence advocacy and prevention during Covid and what is needed to evolve into a thriving movement in the future.
These assessments, rooted in the practice of deep listening, revealed that the sexual and domestic violence movement in Virginia is at a critical point: workers are experiencing record levels of depletion and burnout due to multiple colliding factors, including overwork, primary and secondary trauma, and financial and organizational-capacity stressors. Many of these hardships have been brought about by the conflagration of a) drastic reductions in both public and private funding, b) the steady rise in the frequency and severity of violence that resulted in increased pleas from survivors for help, and c) the significant sense of fear, disconnection, and loss that we collectively experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
What did we discover at Emergence at Roslyn?
So here we were, at the Roslyn Retreat Center, situated on rolling hills speckled with freshly blooming daffodils and violets, the first signs of renewal. An apt place to be healing from the rigors of crisis response work while dreaming about a new world and a new way of working, within our reach.
Our first task was exhilarating: choose one of five creative modalities to respond to the prompts: 1) What are we emerging from? and 2) What are we emerging into? These creative options were designed to be a practical exercise in leaving our “logical” and “trauma-reactive” brains behind in favor of untapping creative problem-solving skills that are, far too often, underutilized in our day-to-day. Would we respond to these prompts through music? Theater? Sculpture? Mural? Poetry? For some, the choice was instinctual and immediate. For others, it was an adventurous stretch away from the confines of comfort. The poetry group, for example, composed this startlingly beautiful poem:
As a collective, and in response to a strategically designed agenda, we dreamt up new practices for sustained wholeness, connection, and power. We focused on healing-centered transformation rather than reacting to the lure of outrage, burnout, and crisis. We sowed seeds for pooling resources, shifting to an abundance mindset, and creating equitable leadership. And this, as it became evident, was exactly what the group of advocates and preventionists needed in that moment: a reprieve and an invitation to, collaboratively, map a way forward towards something greater.
Many of us are weathering a time of deep dread and uncertainty. In times like these, it is essential to hold fast to one another, to keep healing through gentle and trustworthy human connection, to find joy wherever we can, and to believe in the work to get us to the other side: a radically hopeful future where we all get what we need to thrive. We hope you’ll join us.
You will have opportunities to learn more about these plans at our May 20-22 Spring Training Retreat in Natural Bridge, VA. Register today.
__________________________
Register for the May 20-22 Spring Training Retreat in Natural Bridge here.
Interested in more Emergence offerings? See what’s coming up through September 2025.
______________
Kate McCord is the Associate Director of the Action Alliance and has worked in the movement for more than 30 years.
Read more news