Saara believes in the power of shifting culture to eradicate inequality and violence. She earned a MA in International Affairs in 2013, completing a thesis project on global advocacy campaigns addressing gender based violence. She has advocated for survivors for over 10 years, including through community based approaches and prevention campaigns in the East African region, nationally in the U.S. and locally through her communities in Seattle and the Bay Area.

Melissa has been part of the movement to end gender-based violence for 20 years.  Her core values are equity, liberation, and loving kindness, and she believes that transformation must be intersectional, intergenerational, and rooted in our diverse communities.  Melissa’s journey has been focused on building programs, and advocating for systems and policies, that promote equity for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, immigrants, limited English speaking families, and communities of color.  She currently sits on the leadership teams of the Domestic Violence Advocacy Consort

Alejandrina Carrasco MA, serves as the Prevention Services Program Manager for Interface Children & Family Services in Ventura County. She oversees comprehensive family violence programming that prevents, interrupts and ends the cycle of violence within family systems. She empowers advocates working in the field of domestic violence, child abuse, and human trafficking to be their authentic selves and provide support for victims and survivors of trauma.

Dachelle is a dedicated leader serving as DV program manager for SCADP Inc, (Angel Step Inn), with over 7 years of frontline service in Domestic Violence and its various intersections including substance abuse and human trafficking. Her passion lies in helping survivors heal from the trauma they’ve endured, with a keen awareness and respect for the many intersections involved and in need of addressing. Advocating for holistic healing, she promotes sustainability to break the cycle of abuse.

My name is Makayla Chacon and I work for Project Sanctuary as the Director of Coast Services. I’ve lived in Fort Bragg for almost two years now, but I’m originally from Glenn/Butte counties. I’ve been serving survivors of domestic violence and/or sexual assault for almost five years and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I started off as an intern taking hotline calls and was eventually hired as a Housing Advocate. Most of my professional experience is in the housing arena. However, I’m always excited to learn more about how to better support survivors.