(Posted 2022 February)
One of the original Domestic Violence Action Center (DVAC) partners, Bethany House has long empowered women and children escaping domestic violence by providing safe, short-term housing and trauma-informed services. Volunteer Voices talked with Tiffany Santana, executive director of Bethany House of Northern Virginia, about the past and future of the organization—and how its partnership with DVAC helps them achieve their goals.
Volunteer Voices: Talk about the partnership between Bethany House and DVAC.
Tiffany Santana: We’re one of the original [partners]. I’ve been here a little shy of a year in this capacity, and our partnership with DVAC has been tremendous. We are small and private, and although that provides us with more flexibility as far as being able to accept women from everywhere, it presents some challenges. Size can sometimes limit things.
DVAC provides so many resources to us--services we would normally have to pay for. We’re small and that means our budget is small, so partnering with DVAC helps with our budget. Providing funding for all the services would put a strain on us. Our goal is to be more outward facing to help the community tackle the issue of domestic violence. The partnership really allows us quite a bit of support in providing for the community at large.
VV: The community, meaning Fairfax County?
TS: Because we’re private and not government funded, we’re non-jurisdictional. The shelters in the region that are jurisdictional or those that want to place a woman in a different neighborhood so she can’t be found, they call us. Last year, we had more women from out of state than we did from Virginia. We get such a wide variety of women from so many places and with so many needs; DVAC has been able to provide us with resources to support women whether they’re from Fairfax County, West Virginia, North Carolina, or wherever.
VV: Is that the best thing about the partnership—the ability to help women in crisis from everywhere?
TS: The resources and the people I’ve met at DVAC are tremendous. You can tell it’s a group of people that really has a passion for making sure people are freed from domestic violence, that people get the services and support they need.
I’ve been with Bethany House almost nine years. I started as a volunteer, and then I transitioned from volunteer to leading the organization. Having DVAC’s support while I transitioned has been really helpful.
VV: How has this last 20 months—with the covid pandemic--impacted Bethany House?
TS: In the last fiscal year—July to June—we saw almost 200 more calls to our helpline. We believe that was a direct result of the first half of 2020 when people were confined due to stay at home orders.
We also had an unusual challenge because we were doing a full renovation of our shelter. When I say full renovation, I mean gutted to the studs and rebuilt. We already had to rent a home for women and children because we didn’t want to stop services during the renovation. We had to quarantine women in hotels before bringing them to that space. Financially, that was a challenge for which we weren’t prepared.
Figuring out the best way to provide services in this new era of technology was a challenge. How effective can we be without seeing and touching people? But I look at those challenges as beneficial. We learned we have to make a pandemic plan. Covid, in its challenges, provided opportunities for us to learn, to grow, to plan, to rethink how we deliver our services.
VV: What else should we know about Bethany House and how it works in partnership with DVAC?
TS: We’re a Christian organization. Unfortunately, Christianity has gotten a bad rap in the last few years because of the political climate. But we are true followers of Jesus here. We accept all people. We love all people. Our relationship with Jesus informs how we care for people who come to us. Women and children who need shelter. Men who have abused and are hurting. People who need a fresh start. We are an educational tool for the community so we can all partner and end domestic violence together. It’s important for people to know we’re real Christians who really want to love on people.
We are in a unique time as an organization. I believe my assignment here is to expand upon the vision of the original founder [Doris Ward]. And she had vision. In 1979, when people weren’t even using the term ‘domestic violence,’ she was eager to provide services to women so they could get on their feet. I believe I’m to expand on that. What does Bethany House look like deep into the 21st century? How can we use technology? How can we use education? How can we use relationships to better serve? [To answer these questions,] I’m excited we get to work with DVAC and organizations like it.
VV: How do you utilize the services from the other DVAC partners?
TS: We use them, but DVAC is usually our first go-to; it’s usually the first place we send people who call us for information and services. It’s a really good resource to have.
This article posting is part of the Domestic and Sexual Violence Services' Volunteer Voices monthly newsletter for current and potential volunteers. If you're not already a volunteer, learn how to get involved. Find out about upcoming trainings, volunteer trainings, happenings around the DSVS office and information about articles, books, media recommendations and more.
Learn more about the Domestic and Sexual Violence Services (DSVS).