The DoVE Project does not wish there to be any misinformation about services relating to domestic violence on Vashon. Below are a few key points that we feel need clarification.

The DoVE Project does not approve protection orders nor does a lawyer. It is not easy to manufacture domestic violence claims or to have a judge grant a protection order without ample proof. They are only granted after a judge considers the testimonies and evidence presented by both partners.

Families can certainly be ruined by false allegations.  However, most assuredly families are devastated by abuse from an intimate partner. When a victim has taken the step to leave the abusive relationship, he or she is usually in the most danger of physical harm.

Most attorneys who work with domestic violence survivors work either pro bono, i.e. for free, or for a reduced fee. Victims of abuse generally, slowly but surely, have had their freedoms curtailed and may either have no access to any money or very limited access.

The DoVE Project offers services to any victim of intimate partner violence, including men and women, in either heterosexual or LGBTQ relationships. Our Vashon DoVE participants come from all socio-economic classes; they are your neighbors, the people you see at Thriftway, the women and men you run into on the ferry. They reflect the racial demographics of our Island.

The DoVE Project does not provide services to the abuser in a relationship with intimate partner violence. Some excellent organizations across the water do, however, provide such services.

The DoVE Project’s long term mission is to “Build a community in which abuse is eliminated and personal empowerment is promoted through prevention, education and training.” We will be here for you when you or someone you know needs us.

— Elizabeth Archambault, executive director, The DoVE Project