FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Madera resident honored with statewide award for domestic violence advocacy

Tina D. Rodriguez of Community Action Partnership of Madera County awarded for work “to change systems, policies and procedures to increase justice for marginalized communities”

October 29, 2018 – Anaheim, Calif.: The California Partnership to End Domestic Violence (the Partnership), a coalition representing over 1,000 survivors, advocates, organizations, and allied individuals, honored Madera resident Tina Rodriguez with the Equity Award at its Annual Membership Meeting Awards Reception. As increased immigration enforcement made undocumented survivors of domestic violence fearful of reaching out for help, Rodriguez became an immediate resource for agencies to seek guidance and support from.

“Tina voluntarily gathered information on undocumented victim’s rights, deportation safety plans, and recruited attorneys to assist survivors with residency and U-Visas,” said Juan Garcia, Executive Director of Integral Community Solutions Institute. “She equipped agencies like ours with vital resources during a time that was crucial. She is truly a voice for those afraid to speak and an advocate at heart.”

Rodriguez established funding that expanded counseling services for monolingual survivors and set up satellite offices in rural areas of the Central Valley frequented by the undocumented farmworker community. She organized presentations to maximize support for undocumented victims and made resources visible and present in the their communities. Additionally, she partnered with the Madera County District Attorney’s Office, assisting their staff in understanding the importance of signing U-Visa documents for survivors of violence. This resulted in a record breaking amount of applications signed in one year.

About the Partnership

The California Partnership to End Domestic Violence (the Partnership) is California’s recognized domestic violence coalition, representing over 1,000 survivors, advocates, organizations and allied individuals across the state. Working at the state and local levels for nearly 40 years, the Partnership has a long track record of successfully advocating for over 200 pieces of legislation on behalf of domestic violence victims and their children. The Partnership believes that by sharing expertise, advocates and legislators can help end domestic violence. Through our public policy, communications and capacity-building programs, we create system-wide change that supports survivors and invests in prevention. Every day we inspire, inform and connect all those concerned with this issue, because together we’re stronger. With offices in Sacramento, the Partnership’s member programs span the entire state. For more information, visit www.cpedv.org.

# # #