By Holly Fertsch
Many of us have made New Year’s resolutions for a better year ahead. Maybe your resolution is to volunteer more, to go back to work for the first time in years, or even to leave an unsafe relationship. Allow me to introduce you to AVANZAR, a local nonprofit with a passion for social justice.
So, what does AVANZAR do?
Located in Pleasantville, AVANZAR does a bit of everything. Initially started as a crisis hotline, they expanded their services to offer more resources and to ensure they weren’t turning anyone away who needed assistance.
This organization’s mission is to “empower individuals and their families by working to ensure their physical safety, emotional wellbeing, individual freedom, and economical equality.” They primarily achieve this by offering services for those who have experienced domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking.
AVANZAR has 24-hour hotlines for those who have experienced domestic violence and sexual assault. The hotlines provide counseling to those who call. AVANZAR offers legal assistance to victims. Volunteers are available to accompany victims to a hospital or police station. Emergency shelter is offered when needed or requested.
They also have a program that provides counseling to children who have witnessed domestic violence.
AVANZAR also has a program to give court-ordered counseling to those convicted of domestic violence. Claudia Ratzlaff, CEO, commented that they also refer batterers out to clinical therapy if that’s needed.
“We provide counseling to support court-ordered batterers to develop an understanding of how they got there and why this behavior isn’t working for them and how it is not only illegal, it’s problematic, “ Ratzlaff commented. “We try to give them the skillset to not walk that same path.”
In addition, the nonprofit also provides technical support to child care centers, racial sensitivity training to businesses, and resources for those who are re-entering the workforce.
By teaching displaced homemakers how to be economically independent, they work to prevent people from being at risk of abuse. AVANZAR offers job training and further education opportunities.
Their work with child care first arose out of a need for high-quality child care among the people they helped. AVANZAR supports local early education centers and daycare centers in the area.
AVANZAR also opposes racism and all forms of discrimination. It hopes its work with race relations will help the organization better serve the community.
While not everyone who uses AVANZAR’s variety of services has experienced abuse, the nonprofit’s programs all work together to combat abuse and hate in South Jersey.
Let’s back up.
Ratzlaff explained to Shore Local that the nonprofit was started as a feminist organization in 1975. One small group of women started a 24-hour crisis line for women who had been sexually assaulted.
However, they then began to get an unexpected amount of domestic violence calls. Unwilling to turn away those who needed help, they expanded their services to help those in abusive situations.
Those services kept expanding as the organization continued to seek ways to help in any way they could. They offered training for mothers who were returning to the workforce for the first time, whether it was due to domestic violence or even just a spouse’s disability. These women needed childcare while they worked, so AVANZAR began supporting childcare centers and early childhood education. They arranged counseling for kids who had witnessed domestic violence.
The organization didn’t stop there. Ratzlaff said it didn’t feel right to turn away anyone who needed help. Formerly called The Women’s Center, the center formally changed its name to AVANZAR in 2018. The new name comes from a Spanish word that means “advance”. Ratzlaff commented that AVANZAR aims to help people advance their quality of life and aims to promote a safer community.
Whether you need a listening ear or a place to stay, don’t hesitate to call.
Ratzlaff explained that anyone who has experienced domestic violence or human trafficking should call AVANZAR’s helpline, regardless of gender identity. Whether you are male, female, or nonbinary, you are more than welcome to call or utilize AVANZAR’s services.
If you or someone you know has been affected by domestic violence, human trafficking, or sexual assault, please call 800-286-4184 or 609-646-6767 or text: 609-569-5437.
AVANZAR’s 24-hour hotlines are staffed by trained volunteers. If you call, you can expect a nonjudgmental listening ear to be on the other end. AVANZAR’s services are free and confidential.
AVANZAR operates an emergency shelter for those who need to leave an unsafe relationship and request to stay there. The location of this shelter is kept confidential.
Here’s how to help AVANZAR’s mission.
You can support AVANZAR by making a donation, participating in AVANZAR’s events, volunteering or even just visiting the website.
She highly recommended taking the volunteer training available on AVANZAR’s website, even if you are unsure about volunteering. The training teaches everyone how to be a better neighbor and friend to those who have experienced sexual assault or domestic violence.
“Going to our website and taking the volunteer training is a wonderful start because it’s really an introduction to domestic violence and sexual assault, and how to support someone’s who’s been victimized. And, you know, we’re all gonna run into that person, even if you’re not volunteering for us, whether it’s an office colleague or your college roommate or your child’s friend or your next-door neighbor. I mean, you’d be hard-pressed not to brush up against somebody that’s had an issue of violence in their life,” she commented.
According to Ratzlaff, there’s no special magic to being a volunteer. She said that if you’re the kind of person who passes a car accident and stops to help the victims, then you already have what it takes to volunteer.
Visit AVANZAR’s website at the following link: https://avanzarnow.org/.
Holly Fertsch holds a degree in English, and is also certified to teach English as a second language. She has worked as a teacher, tutor and copy editor. After helping out with Shore Local, her family business, part-time for years, she has recently shifted to writing and editing
full time.
