On Wednesday, April 24th, we recognize the importance of Denim Day. It is a day observed worldwide in solidarity with victims of sexual violence. Denim Day began as a visual means of protest after the Italian Supreme Court overturned a rape conviction because a victim wore tight jeans at the time of the assault.

Dating violence is a complex issue that includes a variety of abusive behaviors.

February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month (DVAM), a time focused on spreading awareness and education to initiate the prevention of teen dating violence before it begins.

A mom finds safety and support at Family Services' Karen's House.

Giving Tuesday takes place on November 28th, and it is the day of radical giving. What does this mean? It means that we as a community get the opportunity to do something different than what we do every day in order to make someone else's every day a little easier. This special day allows us to look internally and ask, “What am I willing to give?”

Community members participated in the 25th Annual Thanks for Giving Chrysanthemum Sale.

A fun, purple-themed evening to help sustain Visalia's dedicated domestic violence shelter.

We hope you'll join us for a fun night of community and advocacy!
Join Family Services of Tulare County on Friday, October 6, 2023, to support its mission of helping children, adults, and families heal from violence and thrive in healthy relationships.
This 9th annual event at Valley Strong Ballpark, home of the Visalia Rawhide, raises critical funds for our emergency domestic violence shelter, Karen's House: Visalia's dedicated emergency shelter for victims and their children. We opened the shelter 40 years ago to empower survivors to end the cycle of violence and restore safety in their lives.

Family Services is looking for volunteers to become certified to help survivors of domestic and sexual violence through crisis response services.

After an extensive search, the Board of Directors at Family Services appoints an Interim Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

Sexual assault is more common than many people realize. It can happen to people of all ages, races, and genders. The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) estimates that 433,684 people in the United States are sexually assaulted every year.

If someone you know has been impacted by sexually abuse, here are some tips to be there for that person.  

Family Services is proud to have volunteers that walk alongside us as we provide for our community.

There are many others like Sam, these incredible community members volunteer during their evenings, weekends, and holidays and it makes all the difference!

There are many ways to get involved as a volunteer. Individuals and groups pitch in with administrative support, special projects, donation drives, facility maintenance, or fundraising events. In addition to these general volunteer opportunities, there is always a big need for hands-on assistance with our 24-hour crisis hotlines and crisis response. For those interested in helping people directly, we offer a 40-hour training to become a certified Victim Counselor.

When individuals lend a hand, they can truly change a life.

Family Services Chief Executive Officer Caity Meader resigns after ten years of leading the agency in its mission of helping local children, adults, and families heal from violence and thrive in healthy relationships. Read the full announcement here.

Save the date for Family Services' signature evening of food and wine tasting.

A domestic violence survivor's lengthy journey leads to safety and healing for her family.

Family Services is one of two Visalia nonprofits to receive the Day 1 Families Fund Grant, the largest private gift it has received.

This year, Family Services invites you to #GiveWhereYouLiveTC. Join the movement and give – each Tuesday and every day – whether it’s some of your time, a donation, or the power of your voice in your local community.

Supporters raised $50,000 for Visalia's domestic violence shelter and services for survivors.

This year, the Foundation for Medical Care of Tulare and Kings Counties has joined us once again as a generous sponsor for our Mum sale so that all the 2022 mum proceeds come back to Family Services.
At just $15 each, these plants make the perfect fall decoration for your home.
These elegant plants are currently on sale until November 7th, 2022.

Did you know, on average, it takes seven attempts to leave an abusive relationship? Help is available, and trained advocates are available to listen when you are ready. View Family Services' new domestic violence public service announcement above.

Join Family Services in person on September 30th, for The Purple Party! Proceeds will benefit Karen's House, Visalia's only emergency domestic violence shelter.

After six years of connecting with our neighbors experiencing homelessness and serving approximately 462 individuals, Family Services will wrap up our street outreach efforts.

After nine years of domestic abuse, Sandra decided that enough was enough. Realizing all the negativity in her and her children's environment, Sandra took the first step to start her and her children's healing journey.

Community members raised over 6k for services that directly aid survivors of sexual assault. We saw our community show their commitment to stand with survivors and put an end to victim-blaming by participating in Denim Day 2022.

Family Services' Winter Newsletter is here! Learn about how social connection has helped numerous survivors of domestic violence find healing, the success of our Fall fundraising events, and how you can support our mission of helping children and adults impacted by violence.

The Family Services webinar The Effects of Domestic Violence on Children and Their Developing Brain, presented by Mary Alice Boylan, LMFT; helped inform individuals of common behavior patterns to pay attention to when a child is experiencing a crisis in connection to domestic violence. Read up on this summary of the webinar or even watch it for yourself!

Family Services invites you to get involved and learn more about domestic violence during the month of October.

After enduring domestic violence for more than 10 years, Maria and her three boys found safety and support at Karen’s House. Maria recently told her own story of healing, resilience, and hope in a video for Family Services. It illustrates how much someone can overcome with a little help from the community.

Elena Meier, one of our Victim Crisis Counselors, began volunteering with Family Services’ Rape Crisis program over 22 years ago. She shares her experience to encourage others to give back to their community in this way.

During Crime Victims' Rights Week, we must support victims and not turn our backs on people impacted by long-standing, pervasive public health epidemics - domestic violence, child abuse, sexual assault, trafficking, and other forms of interpersonal violence. Victims of crime are facing catastrophic cuts to funding for programs that serve them, and the Senate must take immediate action to protect grant funding for victim services by immediately passing S.611, the bipartisan, bicameral VOCA Fix to Sustain the Crime Victims Fund Act of 2021 (“the VOCA Fix Act”).

Sign up now for one of our virtual trainings and become a certified volunteer for Family Services!

Denim Day began nearly 20 years ago as a local protest to a rape conviction overturned in Italy. Learn more about this movement's history and how you can get involved locally.

A survivor of sexual assault shares how counseling helped her heal from a sexual assault.

 A 17-year old shares how counseling helped him come to terms with abuse, mental health, and his gender identity.

Longtime volunteer Michele Lima has dedicated almost 2,000 hours to Family Services’ programs. Over the years, she has worked with survivors of domestic violence, both as a Volunteer Crisis Counselor at our emergency domestic violence shelter Karen’s House, and as a Volunteer Legal Advocate assisting survivors who are preparing for court. Michele’s passion for helping survivors eventually led her to become a Volunteer Crisis Counselor for Family Services’ Rape Crisis Center.

For me, the word “normality” means all the good things in my life before the abusive relationship. Before, I was happy with my life and who I was as a person. I knew I had flaws, but overall, I was happy with myself. When I entered an unhealthy relationship, I lost my persona and became what I thought he wanted me to be.

Forming healthy relationships is one way you can help prevent dating violence. Building the foundation for a healthy relationship starts with practicing four components: respect, equality, safety, and trust. Learn more about these foundational components and how you can put them into practice.

Family Services invites you to participate in Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month (TDVAM), a month-long campaign focused on advocacy and education. Learn how you can get involved and prevent dating violence before it starts.

Join us this January for a four-part webinar series in recognition of Human Trafficking Awareness Month.

At Freedom House, Family Services offers a continuum of services for victims of Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC), labor trafficking, and sex trafficking.  In this blog post, Family Services Therapist Shawna Curry, AMFT, answers some frequently-asked questions about human trafficking and CSEC.

Staying at home during the COVID-19 Pandemic can create new safety risks for domestic violence survivors. When survivors are forced to stay in the home or in proximity to their abuser, it can create circumstances where their safety is compromised, and they may need to alter their safety plan. We share this helpful COVID-19 safety planning guide from another domestic violence organization, Sanctuary for Families. Please call Family Services' hotline at 559-732-5941 anytime for guidance and support.

Family Services is closed for the Holidays from Thursday, December 24-Friday, January 1.

Rosie transformed from victim to survivor through seeking justice and safety for herself and her children.

As cases of COVID-19 surge, Family Services is modifying operations while continuing to serve individuals and families who have been affected by violence.

A medida que aumentan los casos de COVID-19, Family Services está modificando las operaciones mientras continúa sirviendo a las personas y familias que se han visto afectadas por la violencia.

This year’s Pandemic has affected everyone in some way, but for some families, it was the precipitating factor that led to experiencing food insecurity for the first time.  When Family Services started receiving calls from clients who were having trouble putting food on the table for the first time, staff and community partners stepped in to help.

As part of this virtual event, donors gave more than $42,000 to launch a collaboration with the Valley Oak SPCA to provide safe, temporary shelter and vet services for survivors' pets.

Thank you to each individual, business, and organization who participated in our 22nd Annual Mum Sale this November.  We hope each beautiful flower brought a smile to someone’s face—all while helping Family Services build safety in homes, in relationships, and for children in our community.