The Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation (AVLF) launched Standing With Survivors this summer, a mobile advocacy initiative bringing resources and education directly to the community. Cynthia Padilla-Pearson is the legal education & outreach coordinator for AVLF’s Safe and Stable Families Project, and she provided an overview of the initiative:

“There are two parts to mobile advocacy. The first is outreach and education. What this looks like is onsite training for law enforcement and some of our community partners that helps them know how to identify and respond to intimate partner abuse, as well as legal remedies for survivors.

“The second part is direct services. The circumstances of intimate partner abuse often make it extremely difficult for survivors to quickly and safely make their way to the courthouse. Now that we’re mobile, we’re also able to provide direct services to survivors who otherwise couldn’t come into SFO. They get access to social services, social workers, and referrals to other services that help them regain their safety and stability.”