It’s March, and the time we think about spring cleaning! Here at NEWS, we thought we would start by clearing up some myths or misconceptions about who we are, what we do, and who we serve. Let’s clean it up!

Myth #1: NEWS only serves Latina Women. No way! About half of NEWS clients are Latinx, just like the population of Napa County. Plus, we serve men, and children, and anyone in the LGBTQ+ community.

Myth #2: NEWS is the police (or affiliated with law enforcement). Heck no! We are an independent non-profit organization. We do have a great relationship with local law enforcement, and work closely with them to ensure the safety of victims.

Myth #3: You should only contact NEWS if it is an emergency. Please, call us any time! We are here if you need advice, just want to talk to someone, or have questions about domestic violence or sexual abuse. We would love to talk to you BEFORE it becomes an emergency.

Myth #4: NEWS is just a shelter for people who need to leave their home and abuser. We are so much more! Yes, we have a safe house, but we also have wrap around services for crisis intervention, court accompaniment, transitional housing, prevention education, and safety planning if you don’t want to leave your partner.

And that’s just a few! Watch our social media during the month of March where we will be cleaning up more myths about NEWS on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

Happy Spring Cleaning!

Karen Calhoun, NEWS Marketing & Communications Director

Meghan Connor started volunteering with NEWS in 2020. She is currently a 4th-year medical student and has an interest in integrating community organizations into the health care system to provide greater ability to identify and support survivors of trauma. In February, she was able to join KEDS support groups to offer support with activities. She is also working on community education for healthcare providers at Touro Medical School. In addition to these endeavors, Meghan continues to sign up to respond to DVRTs and SARTs. NEWS is grateful to have dedicated volunteers to help support our DV and SA survivors. If you are interested in becoming a NEWS volunteer, we have trainings annually. Click HERE for more information.