What is "The Benefits Cliff"?

"People in poverty rely on a combination of earned income, public benefits, and community supports to survive. When these resources are unpredictable, they must choose which necessities to do without. Inconsistent access to nutritious food, medical care, safe housing, and childcare has detrimental effects on their health and well-being, as well as their children's.

The Benefits Cliff refers to the drop off in eligibility for subsidies for health care, food, child care, transportation or housing that low-income families experience with even a minor rise in earnings. The loss of the subsidies mean the worker has to refuse the raise or better-paying job to avoid making their family worse off."

Domestic Violence Homicides Climb As Supreme Court Weighs Bombshell Case

"Intimate partner homicides spiked by 22% in the five years from 2018 to 2022, according to a report released Thursday by Brady: United Against Gun Violence, a gun reform advocacy group.

An American now fatally shoots their spouse or dating partner every 12 hours, the group’s analysis found. That rising violence, overwhelmingly directed at women, most commonly occurs in states where access to firearms is easiest."

"There will be horrific ramifications for women and children if the Supreme Court allows the Fifth Circuit decision to stand," wrote Kris Brown, president of Brady. "Prohibiting domestic violence abusers from accessing firearms is common-sense, life-saving, and constitutional."

Domestic Violence Awareness Month: Unmasking power and control

"To better illustrate how abuse works, the Domestic Abuse Intervention Project created this 'Power and Control Wheel' showing a pattern of behaviors that aren't always identified as abuse, but firmly establish a pattern of intimidation and control."

Why are we fundraising?

We need your help to revitalize our Family Home to serve as our new Safehouse.

Now in the second year of our current strategic plan, Doorways is making our final preparations to revitalize our Family Home in summer 2024 to then serve as our new Safehouse.

Since 2018, Doorways has seen more than a 132% increase in the total number of survivors and their children sheltered in our safehousing.

As Arlington's only provider of safehousing — emergency shelter for survivors and their families who are experiencing homelessness due to the imminent danger of domestic and sexual violence — we must expand our safehousing capacity to meet this growing need. Learn more.

To make this project possible, we need your support. Join us at Open Hearts, Open Doors to support the revitalization of the Family Home, giving safe harbor, healing, and hope!