CAIA Conference recap and more
CAIA Conference recap and more
News, Upcoming Trainings, Other Resources
June 2023
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Violence Free Colorado staff at the 2023 CAIA Conference

Thank you for a great conference!

Since we began planning the 2023 Colorado Advocacy in Action (CAIA) Conference, we’ve been using the phrase “Back Together!” I knew that being back together in person would change the experience of our conference but I underestimated just how much it would impact me. It was terrific to be with you all this year – truly life-giving. I came to Violence Free Colorado because I believe a coalition’s role is to support, educate, and empower advocates. Since my first day, I’ve been humbled by your good work and the opportunity to walk with you as you serve others. Seeing you all in person, though – feeling your energy, hearing your stories, seeing you connect with one another – reconnected me to our role like nothing else. Thank you for coming back together with us.
We hold incredible power as advocates. Our choices can allow a survivor to feel believed or dismissed, to find support or isolation, to experience opportunity or more oppression. Day to day, however, it’s easy to feel powerless compared to the systems we are seeking to change.  When we feel helpless or hopeless, we run the risk of forgetting how much our choices impact those we serve. We can lose sight of how powerful we are in their lives and in the systems we help them navigate. I hope that our time together at CAIA helps each of us stay in right relationship with the power we have – accountable to one another, to the survivors we serve, and especially to those who never seek our services because they do not see us as a safe enough option. 
As we return to the busy-ness of our roles and responsibilities, I hope we’re able to carry the community and connection of CAIA with us. I know that advocacy is hard work. It can also be lonely work. Being together is a reminder that there is a community of people who share the belief that the world can change and that we must do the work to make that happen. I hope that CAIA brought each of us into contact with new ideas and new people. I hope you felt cared for and comforted. I also hope you felt challenged and uncomfortable. More than anything, I hope that you feel connected with the people in your organizations, with the reasons you became an advocate, and with the goals you have for yourself and our field.
Thank you all for making CAIA 2023 a huge success!  We can’t wait to see you next year!
-Roshan Kalantar
Violence Free Colorado Executive Director
A small group discussion at a CAIA session CAIA flower bed full of colorful paper flowers CCASA director Brie presenting a session on worker retention at CAIA 2023
A CAIA participant planting their paper flower in the collective garden Keynote Panel onstage at CAIA 2023 Colorful butterfly made out of pipe cleaners by a CAIA participant

Coalition Updates

Brandy Walega and Miranda Encina

Training and Technical Assistance Team

Training and TA Team

July Facts & Snacks Webinar
12 p.m. MT July 11 
Title: Learn About VINELink!
Presenters: Robert Branham and Andrea Musick-Johnson 
The County Sheriffs of Colorado will present on the VINELink victim notification program, its background, how to access its many functions, creating an account, using the watchlist, and how to obtain services all in one spot. 

Upcoming Trainings


  • Our August Facts & Snacks will be a 2023 legislative update by our Public Policy Team. 

Resources and Other News

We're hiring for two positions: 

This position will work with bilingual anti-domestic violence advocates state-wide to expand programming, resources and accessibility to survivors who are often marginalized or ignored in primarily English-speaking programs.

This position will provide training, technical assistance, and systems advocacy on the intersections of domestic violence and economic justice. 
A Huge Thank You to Breakthru Beverage Colorado! 
At the Colfax Marathon Relay last month, Friends of Breakthru Beverage Colorado raised $24,560 for our work! We are blown away by the number of staff they had sign up to run, raise money, and spread awareness about domestic violence. Their staff also participated in a training hosted by our Training and Technical Assistance Team on how to support a coworker experiencing domestic violence. 

Thank you so much to their entire team! 
Breakthru Bev staff present Violence Free Colorado Board Co-chair Adam Evans with their donation check
In May, Apple and Google announced they're partnering to address the misuse of Bluetooth location tracking devices. Unwanted tracking is an increasingly common tactic of abuse and concern for survivors. NNEDV and the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) have been advocating for universal standards to minimize opportunities for abuse and to decrease the burden for detecting possible trackers. Part of that advocacy effort was shared in a joint op-ed where NNEDV provided some recommendations for standards. Without universal solutions, there are limited proactive notifications to let someone know there could be a tracker following them and survivors have to download multiple apps to scan and detect a nearby tracker. This partnership is a significant step towards creating the universal standards necessary to address these concerns.
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