A domestic abuse survivor may only have a few seconds to get out of a dangerous situation, but what happens when the domestic violence shelters are full? Now, there’s an app to help. SafeNight is a new app available in the D.C. area that was created to reach out to donors within the community and help get domestic abuse survivors emergency shelter. It was first developed in California by the non-profit organization, Community Advocates for Family and Youth (CAFY). The app is free and available for download by iOS and Android users.
The app has partnered with verified domestic violence service organizations that send out alerts when a survivor has entered their facility who is in need of a place to stay. Users of SafeNight have the ability to anonymously donate money towards getting the person a hotel room in the area, ensuring that in the midst of a dangerous situation they will have a safe place to stay.
The donors can select the organization they would like to support, as well as the number of alerts they receive in a given time frame. The app is completely anonymous, with no personal data collected on either side of the process. It retains the privacy of both users and relieves the stress of a meeting between donors and survivors.
Studies done examining the causes of homelessness found that over 80% of women interviewed had mentioned domestic violence. In 2015, research showed that in just one day, over 30,000 adults and children fled to domestic violence emergency shelters, yet those same programs were unable to meet a third of those requests. Apps like SafeNight allow not only organizations, but also individuals to reach out and help survivors meet their needs for safe shelter.
Domestic violence is a topic affecting thousands of women and men to this day. We often ask ourselves how we could ever get involved in fighting such an ever present issue. SafeNight gives you the tools to help and join the movement working to end domestic violence.