Dear Friend and Supporter:

It’s hard to believe that we have lived through an entire year with a worldwide pandemic. Times have
been challenging, yet it is through struggle that we find strength.

Our greatest asset at AWARE, Inc. has been our employees who, without hesitation, changed course, adapted services, and responded to the needs of survivors with care and empathy. Staff showed up every day, putting aside personal fears and risks to their own health.

While the agency was forced to reduce occupancy by 50%, we met safety needs through hotel stays. We reallocated resources to assist survivors with the expenses necessary to start over. We helped survivors move from homes that were unsafe to their own homes free from violence.

The agency put in place health and safety measures to ensure a clean environment by installing air purification systems, hard surface flooring. We replaced bed frames and mattresses to less porous materials that will be more easily cleaned. We added technology infrastructure for counselors, advocates, and other employees to smoothly transition between home and office worksites. We set an expectation agencywide that we must be nimble to ensure safety for survivors and their children.

The agency was able to meet these challenges because you believe in AWARE, Inc. Donors like you, believe in our work, our mission, and our commitment to survivors. As we move into a new phase of the pandemic, we are prepared operationally, but we still need funds to meet our financial goals this year.
We hope that we can count on you. No gift is too small.

Sincerely,
Angelita Velasco Gunn
Executive Director