For more than 12 years, The DOVE Project has been a beacon of hope for survivors.

We provide survivor-centered services rooted in core values of integrity, compassion, innovation, dignity, respect, and a commitment to learning and growth. We believe that violence is a symptom of deeper systemic issues like racism and oppression, and we strive to create a community where everyone feels valued, safe, and empowered.

Our comprehensive empowerment model encompasses eight key components: information and education, safety planning, skill-building, emotional support, supportive counseling, resource access, social connection, and community change. Each survivor’s journey is unique, and our services are tailored to meet their specific needs and priorities.

As we’ve honored survivors in October for Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we like to take time to focus on the journey of hope for survivors.

We talk about hope a lot in our office. The loss of hope is a common companion when seeking assistance. It is characterized by the belief that situations are insurmountable, that there are no viable solutions, and that one’s ability to take effective action is diminished. Hope acts like a chisel, slowly breaking away at that frozen state, creating space for movement and change.

Hope is gaining your power back.

Hope is the belief that your voice matters.

Hope is understanding how to take a step forward — and how that movement is healing.

Hope is gaining skills to build self-autonomy.

And hope is the ability to believe in oneself.

The journey of hope is not for the faint of heart. It takes work, energy and the ability to be open to new things, often in a setting when you feel the most vulnerable and have the least amount of resources.

This quote about hope, attributed to Twitter/X user @CrowsFault, describes the journey perfectly: “People speak of hope as if it is this delicate, ephemeral thing made of whispers and spider’s webs. It’s not. Hope has dirt on her face, blood on her knuckles, the grit of the cobblestones in her hair, and just spat out a tooth as she rises for another go.”

At DOVE, we are committed to the healing timeline of all those whom we serve. This timeline is client-centered and survivor-led. Safety planning, be it physical or emotional or any other kind of strategy, is done in collaboration with the client. We never presume to know what is right or wrong, best or better for any survivor; the client always takes the lead. In this way, we can be certain that we have walked alongside survivors and provided support and safety that is conducive to true healing work.

DOVE offers a variety of healing approaches and prevention education for all ages that can touch the lives of not only the clients we serve, but also the family members and friends who are a vital part of the survivor’s support network. And DOVE is broadening its scope to cater to the evolving healing journey and needs of clients and their families by providing holistic wellness programs, facilitating community workshops, offering prevention education for youth, and extending mental support services.

We know not only that safety belongs to all of us, but that it truly “takes a village” — or in our case, an island. We are all part of a movement to authentically show up for and care for one another on Vashon.

Heidi Jackson is the executive director of The DOVE Project. Nyn Grey is a community advocate and program manager at The DOVE Project.