Rural Task Force

Do you live in or serve a rural area? Join the rural Task Force! We meet on the first Thursday of the month at 4pm via Zoom. Email erobinson@vsdvalliance.org for Zoom link.

The Rural Task Force is a group of Action Alliance members and staff dedicated to building power for rural advocates and survivors within our coalition. Our task force is made up of members from across the state of Virginia, representing diverse rural communities, agencies, and localities who affirm the Action Alliance mission, vision, and guiding principles. Our objectives as a task force are:

• To identify and address barriers and challenges within rural Virginia communities that prevent survivors (including the full diversity of the rural population, across race/ethnicity, language, gender and sexuality, ability, and immigration/documentation status) from effectively accessing support and increase risk of violence. 

• To identify and strengthen the existing protective factors within rural Virginia communities (including the full diversity of the rural population, across race/ethnicity, language, gender and sexuality, ability, and immigration/documentation status) that offer a foundation for violence intervention and prevention.

• To create a collaborative space in which rural advocates, preventionists, and survivors can learn from each other and work together, increasing feelings of community support and connectedness across Virginia.

• To bring insights and knowledge from this group to the broader coalition, challenging and correcting myths about rural communities and drawing on the breadth of rural-specific skills and knowledge to educate non-rural advocates and community members.

Chair: Chad Lewis; Staff Liaisons: Dawn Brooks & Emily Robinson