Content warning: the following story contains references to domestic violence and sexual assault
At one point in her life, Tiffany Eggleton thought she was going to die from domestic violence.
On Thursday, Oct. 17 she appeared before the Board of County Commissioners, thriving as a Raphael House recovery mentor, who now helps other people who have experienced domestic violence.
“I get to sit with them with my whole heart and honesty,” Eggleton said. “I get to tell them that I completely and truly believe that they can leave, that they can thrive, and that they can stay clean and sober, because I did.”
Eggleton was among dozens of domestic violence workers who filled the Boardroom as the Board proclaimed October Domestic and Sexual Violence Awareness Month. Eggleton spoke alongside Alise Sanchez, who manages the County’s Domestic and Sexual Violence Coordination Office; Fay Schuler, the Executive Director at Call to Safety; Claire Barrera with Proyecto Unica; and Chief Deputy District Attorney John Casalino.
Domestic and Sexual Violence Awareness Month shines a light on the experience of domestic violence survivors and their communities, while also calling attention to the work that must be done. Multnomah County partners with more than 50 local agencies to provide services to domestic violence survivors ranging from support groups to housing support to legal assistance.
“Domestic violence, better described as intimate partner violence, has long been an issue in our communities but has for too long been minimized or even ignored,” Commissioner Susheela Jayapal said. “While we’ve made huge strides in elevating the attention and resources brought to bear on this area, many of our systems still lag in their understanding of the causes, effects, and widespread impacts of domestic violence.”
Domestic violence disproportionately affects women of color
One in seven Multnomah County women aged 18 to 64 was physically abused by an intimate partner during the past year. That means almost 28,000 women in Multnomah County were impacted by domestic violence. In 2018, Casalino said the District Attorney’s provided over 26,000 services to domestic violence survivors in Multnomah County.
Of the thousands of domestic violence survivors in Multnomah County, a staggering 81 percent are women of color.
Proyecto Unica is one of several culturally-specific providers that works in partnership with the County. But a recent rise in hate crimes and anti-immigrant rhetoric at the national level is making women who are immigrants or have mixed status families fearful of accessing services, Barrera said.
“We’re one of the few places in town that undocumented Latinx survivors and indigenous Latin American survivors come to for support,” Barrera said. “We’re very, very thankful for the support this County has given us, and we’re excited for that support to increase. The support that we would love to see continuing from this County is support for policies and laws to make this country safer for survivors of color, particularly undocumented survivors.”
Commissioners remind that domestic violence affects everyone
Chair Deborah Kafoury said the County’s domestic violence work hits close to home for her. Her mother, former Multnomah County Chair Gretchen Kafoury, served domestic violence survivors as a community members.
“One of my earliest memories is my mother inviting women fleeing domestic violence into our home,” Chair Kafoury said at Tuesday’s briefing. “I saw first-hand how much courage and resilience those women had. And I think of those survivors every October when we proclaim Domestic Violence Awareness month.”
Commissioner Jessica Vega Pederson shared gratitude for all the domestic violence workers who devote countless hours to supporting survivors. She also said the statistics are a reminder that domestic violence affects all people in some way.
“Every single one of us has a friend, has a family member, has a colleague or has themselves experienced this kind of violence in their life,” Commissioner Jessica Vega Pederson said. “It highlights the trauma that each of us might be carrying under our skin and it’s a good reminder to take care of ourselves, just in general.”