loveisrespect Blog

Austin people, we’ve got a new volunteer class starting in October. If you’re interested in becoming a Peer Advocate, answering calls and chats from teens across the country, please contact us. Training covers topics like crisis intervention, safety planning, healthy relationships, etc. We do lots of practice calls/chats with our new volunteers. And there’s always someone around to help. We promise.

Email us. We’ll tell you more.

*To ensure confidentiality for our callers and chatters, peer advocates have to work from our Austin office. If you don’t live in Austin and you’re looking for volunteer opportunities, give us a call. A Peer Advocate can  help you find something in your area.

Today we launched our LOVE campaign in partnership with the Texas Office of the Attorney General. We’ll be sending campaign resources out to Texas high schools soon, but they’re available to everyone via our website right now. There’s videos, music, and other sparkly stuff (like the logo above) you can use to help us spread the LOVE message. 

Let us know what you think!

October is just around the corner, especially if you’re planning events for Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM). Though teen dating abuse has it’s own awareness week in February, obviously the issue of teen dating abuse and domestic violence overlap. Teens are involved in abusive relationships. They have friends that are involved in abusive relationships. They also live in homes with domestic violence.   

Teens should be recognized and involved during DVAM. During the month of October, we’ll be on the lookout for teens involved in domestic violence awareness events.

If you don’t know what’s being planned for DVAM in your area or you’d like to get involved, try contacting your local domestic violence program (one of our advocates can help you locate it), your school, or even your state coalition on domestic violence. So far, we’ve seen walks, vigils, benefit art displays, and donation drives on calendars across the country. If there isn’t anything planned in your area - consider doing it yourself. We’ll be featuring some DIY DVAM ideas here during the next few weeks.