Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence

06/11/2026

Conversations can change a community. Join us this Saturday.

Join our colleaugues with Monsoon Asians & Pacific Islanders in Solidarity and our team for a community dialogue on the impact of sexual violence and the ways it touches individuals, families, and communities.

Part of the Shouts & Whispers with Rekha Basu series, this conversation will explore the intersections of sexual violence, r**e culture, trafficking, intimate partner violence, and harassment, and make space for reflection, learning, connection, and community care.

📅 Saturday, June 13, 2026
🕐 1–3 p.m.
📍 Forest Avenue Public Library, 1326 Forest Ave., Des Moines

Questions? Reach out to [email protected].

06/05/2026

Words matter. What happened in Muscatine on June 1st was not a “domestic dispute” — it was domestic violence.

It is a preventable public health issue that reaches into schools and workplaces and neighborhoods; that often takes children; and that leaves entire communities forever changed.

The most severe outcome of domestic violence is the tragedy that Lesa, Ryle, Dakota, Austin, Mark, and Ryan Jr. experienced this week. Grieving loved ones stood before the Muscatine community Tuesday night and said their names out loud. We say them too.

There have been so many stories like this nationally and locally. And behind every headline are hundreds more we don’t see – stories of fear that go unreported, injuries mislabeled as “assaults,” and lives lost in the shadows. Domestic violence thrives in isolation.

And right now, Iowa is grappling with a crisis:

According to ICADV’s Iowa Domestic Violence Homicide Fact Sheet, between 2021 and 2024, at least 88 Iowans lost their lives to domestic violence – including 16 children aged five and under. That’s a 52% increase in just three years. In 65% of those cases, the weapon used was a firearm.

Our statewide network of victim service organizations served 25,617 domestic violence survivors last year. But most instances of domestic violence are not reported. Survivors face fear of retaliation, loss of financial stability, concern for their children, and distrust of systems that have not always protected them.

Domestic violence happens all around us. It does not discriminate, and it disproportionately impacts those with the least access to safety, support systems, and financial resources.

We must do better. The media must do better. The community must speak up and call domestic violence what it is. Because the more we shy away from naming this epidemic, the more it hides in plain sight.

Let’s honor these lives by refusing to call it anything less than what it is. Domestic violence. A crime. A public health crisis. And a call to action for all of us.

If you or someone you know needs support, visit www.icadv.org or call the Iowa Victim Services Call Center (Family Crisis Centers Hotline) at 1-800-770-1650 or text “iowahelp” to 20121.

For residents of Muscatine, our colleagues with Family Resources are available at 1-866-921-3354.

ICADV remains steadfast in our commitment to every victim/survivor, loved one, and community touched by domestic violence.

View ICADV's Iowa Domestic Violence Fact Sheet here: https://shorturl.at/LeK8k.

06/04/2026

✈️ From Iowa to D.C.! 🇺🇸

This week, our Chief Impact Officer, Dr. Ruxandra Marcu, and our colleagues, Kacey Barrow-Minor with Crisis Intervention & Advocacy Center and Stephanie Pickinpaugh with Safe Place Siouxland were in Washington, D.C. to join the The National Network to End Domestic Violence and the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence for to amplify the voices of sexual and domestic violence survivors on Capitol Hill.

Together, they met with Iowa's congressional offices to elevate the experiences of survivors and highlight the importance of sustained support for Iowa victim services.



Congresswoman Ashley Hinson Rep. Randy Feenstra Rep. Miller-Meeks Senator Joni Ernst Senator Chuck Grassley Congressman Zach Nunn

06/01/2026

🎉 Meet the newest member of our team!

Whitney Free has joined ICADV as our new Communications Specialist. In this role, she will manage our communications strategy across all digital and print platforms, content creation, and media relations, while ensuring trauma-informed, survivor-centered messaging across all of communications.

Whitney has more than 17 years of public relations, marketing, and advertising experience serving a diverse range of clients and industries including healthcare, nonprofits, higher education, consumer goods and construction. Most recently, she worked as a PR and Content Strategy Supervisor at Two Rivers Marketing.

At each organization she has served, Whitney put her love of storytelling to work across social media, web content, magazines, newsletters, videos, email, direct mail, radio, tradeshows, and events. She has extensive experience in media relations, content strategy, and writing/editing.

From guiding operational shifts that improved patient outcomes to establishing and leading an agency’s DEI committee to heading up internal fundraising and volunteer efforts, Whitney is passionate about driving meaningful change however she can.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wartburg College, where she majored in public relations and print media and minored in organizational leadership. Whitney’s work has won three PRSA awards for writing and media relations and two ADDY awards for writing and production.

Whitney volunteers with the Young Women's Resource Center and One Iowa and serves as the Diversity and Inclusion Chair for the PRSA Iowa Chapter.

Drop a comment below and help us welcome Whitney to the team! 🎉

05/20/2026

Building safe, more supportive communities for survivors starts with conversation.

We are proud to partner with our colleagues at Monsoon Asians & Pacific Islanders in Solidarity for an upcoming community dialogue on the impact of sexual violence and the ways it affects individuals, families, and communities.

As part of the Shouts & Whispers with Rekha Basu series, this conversation will explore the intersections of sexual violence, r**e culture, trafficking, intimate partner violence, harassment, and other forms of violence. Together, we’ll make space for reflection, learning, connection, and conversations about community care and survivor support.

📅 Saturday, June 13, 2026
🕐 1-3 p.m.
📍 Forest Avenue Public Library, 1326 Forest Ave., Des Moines

Questions? Reach out to [email protected].

05/18/2026

The National Network to End Domestic Violence

🚨 ACTION ALERT! 🚨 Survivors and programs cannot wait any longer for federal funding. Ongoing delays and instability are creating unnecessary chaos, frustration, and fear in a field already operating under high demand and limited resources.
Tell Congress to act NOW and help ensure lifesaving funds are released immediately. Your voice matters.

📞 Use our call script

📢 Take our Action Alert: https://buff.ly/29P4w4A

💜 Share with a friend and tell them to take action, too!



[Image description: Against a purple and teal background is a graphic of the U.S. Capitol and text reading: “Call 202-224-3121 and ask to be connected to your Senator or Representative’s office. Tell them: Hello, I’m a constituent from [city/state]. I’m calling to urge [Representative or Senator Name] to press the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice to publish delayed funding notices for fiscal year 2026 Family Violence Prevention and Services Act and Office on Violence Against Women funding and expedite the release of funding. These ongoing delays are putting programs and survivors at serious risk, jeopardizing staffing, shelter operations, and access to lifesaving support for survivors nationwide. Thank you.”]

🚨 ACTION ALERT! 🚨 Survivors and programs cannot wait any longer for federal funding. Ongoing delays and instability are creating unnecessary chaos, frustration, and fear in a field already operating under high demand and limited resources.

Tell Congress to act NOW and help ensure lifesaving funds are released immediately. Your voice matters.

📞 Use our call script

📢 Take our Action Alert: https://buff.ly/29P4w4A

💜 Share with a friend and tell them to take action, too!



[Image description: Against a purple and teal background is a graphic of the U.S. Capitol and text reading: “Call 202-224-3121 and ask to be connected to your Senator or Representative’s office. Tell them: Hello, I’m a constituent from [city/state]. I’m calling to urge [Representative or Senator Name] to press the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice to publish delayed funding notices for fiscal year 2026 Family Violence Prevention and Services Act and Office on Violence Against Women funding and expedite the release of funding. These ongoing delays are putting programs and survivors at serious risk, jeopardizing staffing, shelter operations, and access to lifesaving support for survivors nationwide. Thank you.”]

05/13/2026

Save the dates! The The National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) will host Days of Action May 14-18 for federal funding delays.

➡️ Take Action and Learn More: https://buff.ly/29P4w4A.

Save the dates! 🗓️ NNEDV will host Days of Action May 14-18 for federal funding delays.

➡️ Take the Action Alert: https://buff.ly/29P4w4A

Federal funding is critical to ensuring survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault can access lifesaving services and support. When funding is delayed, programs are left without the resources needed to operate, leading to reduced services, staff shortages, or even program closures — putting survivors' safety and stability at risk.

It is critical that Congress does everything in its power to urge the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice to immediately publish the delayed FY26 Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) and expedite the release of all congressionally appropriated funds for the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) and the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW).

Join us May 14-18 and tell Congress to act now!



[Image description: Against a purple and teal background is a graphic of the U.S. Capitol and text reading: “SAVE THE DATES! National Days of Action on Federal Funding Delays. May 14-18, 2026.”]