A Pandemic
Within A Pandemic.
The pandemic has laid bare just how ill-equipped our over-stressed social services system is to handle a range of issues, from domestic violence to family care. We witness it daily, and it’s why we created the Hospitality Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
With people having reduced access to social services and even less opportunity to simply get out of the house, domestic violence and suicide numbers have increased exponentially, and that’s just what gets reported. This is an under-explored consequence of the pandemic.
As hospitality professionals, our establishments have long provided an outlet for socialization, community, and support. We recognize that we need to do our part to support those who rely on us for more than just a burger and a beer. We aim to create a safe environment for our employees and guests. By developing better systems and training and expanding these procedures across the industry, we will make them “universal” and recognized as “best practices.”
NO MORE HIDING.
HCADV IS HERE TO HELP.
In 2021, crisis hot line calls had dropped
FIFTY PERCENT
because victims are unable to safely
connect with services.
NEJM Group
The rate of
MURDER-SUICIDE
with a female victim has increased since
from 2020 to 2021.
Hopkins Medicine
Due to rising stress from parents,
ONE IN SEVEN
children had experienced abuse and
neglect in 2021.
SAMHSA.gov
We have partnered with local women’s and family shelters to provide support for families in crisis. We will educate our staff about what to be aware of and will serve meals and provide ongoing support to women and children in domestic violence shelters. We seek to break the domestic violence cycle, educate children that have witnessed abusive relationships about respect and that the opposite is not the acceptable standard. We hope our team will raise awareness of this among men and foster an understanding of how to respect women.
We recognize that our industry enjoys a unique opportunity as the standard “third space” for our communities, enabling us to reach and support women in abusive relationships who might otherwise be isolated from seeking help. With a continued expansion of the program, women in abusive relationships will hopefully feel less isolated, stop accepting blame, and…