Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Center

04/04/2026

💙 Why “Start by Believing” Matters
A survivor’s first disclosure is often the hardest step they’ll ever take.
When they’re met with doubt, blame, or minimization, the harm deepens.
When they’re met with belief, compassion, and steadiness, it opens the door to safety, healing, and justice.

🌿 What Support Can Look Like
Listen without judgment. Let them share at their own pace.
Affirm their courage. A simple “I’m glad you told me” can be grounding.
Avoid pressing for details. Your role is support, not investigation.
Respect their choices. Survivors deserve control over what happens next.
Stay present. Trauma can make people feel isolated; your steadiness matters.

🌟 Making a Personal Commitment
“Start by Believing” isn’t just a slogan — it’s a mindset shift. It asks each of us to:
Challenge harmful myths about sexual violence
Create safer spaces for disclosure
Respond with empathy and validation
Support survivors in reclaiming their autonomy

It really does start with each of us choosing to be someone who listens, believes, and stands with survivors.

04/03/2026

🌟 A Huge Thank You to MTSU’s Criminal Justice Club 🌟

We are deeply grateful to the members of MTSU’s Criminal Justice Club for their recent donation drive in support of our Bernard House. Your generosity does more than fill shelves — it creates a ripple effect of hope, stability, and dignity for the survivors we serve in our emergency shelter.
Acts of kindness like yours remind us of the incredible power of community. They show our survivors that they are seen, believed, and heard. That message alone can be transformative, and your support helps make it real every day.
Thank you for standing with us and for helping ensure that every survivor feels supported on their path forward.

04/02/2026

As we begin Sexual Assault Awareness Month, our agency was honored to participate in Day on the Hill to advocate for survivors of sexual violence across Tennessee.

Survivors deserve a strong, coordinated community response, and Sexual Assault Response Teams (SARTs) play a vital role in ensuring compassionate, trauma‑informed, and effective care.

We are deeply grateful to Tennessee Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence and Sexual Assault Center of Middle Tennessee for uniting agencies statewide and for inviting our very own Executive Director to serve as a group leader. Their leadership strengthens our collective voice and our shared mission to support and empower survivors.

Together, we will continue working toward a safer, more supportive Tennessee for all.

03/13/2026

Have you gotten your tickets to Show Your Till on 4/30/26? This special event supports local survivors of domestic and sexual violence, and we would be honored to have you with us.

We are thrilled to announce our featured speaker, Dr. Wes Carr-Patterson — advocate, educator, and founder of the Victoria W. Carr Foundation, whose mission is to raise awareness of domestic violence and inspire change.

Your presence helps create an army of support for survivors. It often takes one survivor bravely sharing their story for another to feel safe enough to come forward. By attending, you’re helping make that possible.

🎟️ Purchase tickets: Visit https://dvsacenter.org/events for the EventBrite link.

We would love to see you there and stand together for hope, healing, and community.

03/12/2026

We are deeply grateful to the Charity Circle of Murfreesboro for their recent grant in support of our mission to serve survivors of domestic and sexual violence. This investment in the life of a survivor is a powerful reminder that they matter, that their voices are heard, and that they are empowered.
Because of this generous financial support, we are able to provide essential items and critical assistance to survivors—services that may not have been possible otherwise. Your commitment helps create safety, dignity, and hope at moments when they are needed most.
Thank you for standing with us and with the survivors we serve.

03/06/2026

Huge thanks to Faith and Grace Flooring for standing with survivors of domestic and sexual violence. It truly takes a community to make survivors feel supported and believed.

On 3/21/26, please consider giving generously—support this amazing local business and support our agency’s mission.

03/05/2026

Make a powerful difference in your community. Survivors of sexual assault deserve advocates who will listen, believe, and support them through crisis.

Our next volunteer training for sexual assault advocates takes place on March 20, 2026.

Email volunteer@dvsacenter.org to learn more and become part of our advocacy team.

03/03/2026

We love this!

03/03/2026

Great ideas!

Writing out your thoughts, and finding ways to gently reconsider them, can help you process negative thoughts and find what you need to feel better.

02/16/2026

Our offices will be closed on Monday, February 16th, in observance of President’s Day.

Even while our doors are closed, you are not alone. Our crisis lines remain open around the clock, offering support, safety, and someone who will listen.

Domestic Violence Support: 615‑896‑2012
Sexual Assault Support: 615‑494‑9262

Please reach out whenever you need us. We’re here for you.

02/15/2026

To our survivors, donors, and volunteers:
On this Valentine’s Day, may love find you gently — in the quiet moments, in the breath you didn’t realize you were holding, in the truth that your worth is not earned but inherent.
You are a testament to resilience, to generosity, to the kind of courage that reshapes the world in small, luminous ways.
May you feel cherished, may you feel seen, and may you never forget the sacred truth at the center of your being:
You matter. You are worthy. You are loved.