Empower Yolo Inc

Programs: Resource center:2017 was a busy year for our volunteer income tax assistance program which assisted 537 taxpayers and those taxpayers received $1,045,616 in federal tax returns. The health insurance enrollment program enrolled 530 children and adults in health insurance and assisted 276 people in applying for other benefits. In 2017, empower yolo prevented 15 households from becoming homeless through our emergency solutions grant. Additionally, we helped 33 households go from homeless to housed through our rapid re-housing program. In 2017, our volunteers dedicated over 5,000 hours of service by answering our 24-hour crisis line, educating students about violence prevention, and providing outreaching to the community to inform them of our services. They offered peer counseling to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. Volunteers run our community clothing closet, help with food distribution and assist with many of our childrens programs. Our volunteers are compassionate and trained advocates who improve the overall health of the community members that we serve.

victim services:empower yolo has a widely known office location in woodland where assistance is provided and accessible to all victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, human trafficking and child abuse. Business offices are open during routine business hours, but crisis services are available 24 hours a day via the crisis hotline. We provide counseling to victims of domestic violence and their children, when it is requested. These services are provided to women and children at the shelter and/or business center. Interactive group counseling services are also provided, with staff and/or appropriately trained volunteer facilitators. Empower yolo provided 2,642 peer counseling and therapy sessions to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking in 2017. We also offer weekly support groups in woodland and west sacramento. The legal department holds restraining order clinics monday through friday at 9:00 in various locations throughout the county. 279 victims of domestic violence received restraining order assistance in fy-17.

shelter:the confidential wallace and vannucci shelter serves victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and trafficking and their children/dependents. In 2017, empower yolo provided shelter to 238 women, men and children total of 10,932 bed nights.