Doorways’ work is urgent and lifesaving. Your support is a critical lifeline for us and the survivors we serve. Donate now to help safeguard Doorways’ programs! 

In Arlington, the Need for Domestic Violence Shelter Is at an All-Time High 

Doorways, the community’s only shelter for survivors, sees another record-breaking year while federal support for victims disappears

The need for safehousing is at an all-time high in Arlington. Doorways sheltered 150 survivors in our emergency safehousing in fiscal year 2025 — more than ever before, and more than double the number we sheltered just five years ago


Many of the 70 adults and 80 children we sheltered were facing high risk of harm, and even death. Doorways is Arlington’s only provider of safehousing — emergency shelter for survivors and their families who are in imminent danger due to abuse — and we do not turn away any survivor who accesses our shelter. We do not have a waitlist, even when we are already at capacity, because we know that survivors cannot wait.  


Despite survivors’ urgent need for shelter being at an all-time high, federal support for victim services continues to decrease or disappear altogether. 

Now Is the Time to Act


We need your help to safeguard Doorways’ lifesaving domestic and sexual violence programs. Here are five ways to act now: 


1) Donate now to help sustain Doorways’ services for survivors. Make it a recurring gift to provide ongoing support! 

2) Ask your employer to sponsor Doorways’ Open Hearts, Open Doors event at The Falls restaurant this fall. 


3) Apply to volunteer with Doorways, and plan to attend a General Information Session to get started. 


4) Sign up for action alerts from the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance and NNEDV to advocate on behalf of survivors. 

5) Tell your friends and family what’s happening, and ask them to join you in supporting survivors. Check out our toolkit for sample messages, shareable images, and more. 


Your support is a critical lifeline for Doorways and the survivors we serve. Thank you for helping us continue our urgent and lifesaving work in our community! 

Disappearing Federal Support


While Doorways is serving more survivors than any time in our 47-year history, we are also facing the immense challenge of disappearing federal support for victim services. Federal funding and infrastructure continue to experience cuts, leaving domestic violence organizations nationwide uncertain of how we will continue this work, especially with more survivors needing help.  

One federal funding source began deep cuts in 2018; Doorways sheltered 58 survivors that year. The nationwide Crime Victims Fund (VOCA) cap was reduced to $1.35 billion in 2024, compared to $4.44 billion in 2018, translating into a decrease of $200,000, or 11%, for Doorways in 2024 alone.  


This spring, the Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women halted grant applications. Although applications eventually reopened, the freeze sent many organizations into disaster planning.  


Meanwhile, the agencies supporting victim services and prevention efforts have been gutted. “Much of the federal infrastructure that supports domestic violence programs is damaged or gone,” Rachel Louise Snyder wrote in the New York Times. 


Your continued support of Doorways is imperative for the survivors we serve. Thank you for your ongoing dedication to our mission!

Back to School Success!

Thanks to You, We Reached Our Goal!


Thanks to all of our amazing Back-to-School Sponsors, every child in our shelter and housing programs has been matched with a sponsor, and will have what they need to start their next school year off right!

For each child, Back-to-School Sponsors provide:


  • Backpack
  • Lunch box
  • Water bottle
  • Umbrella
  • $100 VISA gift card to empower families to shop for kids' clothes and grade-specific supplies

We are so grateful to you for supporting our youngest clients!

Celebrating Our Volunteers

Doorways Celebrated 26 Volunteers at Arlington Cares Event


Volunteer Arlington honors and recognizes individuals and groups who make a difference through volunteering at its annual Arlington Cares event. The event celebrates annual award winners and people who have spent 100 hours or more volunteering for an individual organization in the previous year.

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