Meeting will examine services for victims of domestic violence

With an assist from a Sacramento nonprofit, Merced advocates plan a meeting meant to improve the services offered to domestic violence victims who are members of Asian or Pacific Islander communities.

The Valley Crisis Center, a Merced nonprofit that advocates for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, plans the discussion. It is free and open to the public June 24 in the Clark-Newbold Room of the Merced County Office of Education, 632 W. 13th St.

The center designed the discussion with assistance from My Sister’s House, a Sacramento nonprofit that specializes in helping victims from Asian and Pacific Islander communities.

When a victim is escaping an abusive relationship, even the smallest details matter, said Nilda Valmores, the executive director of My Sister’s House. The meeting in Merced is a chance for advocates and others to learn to be aware of the needs of people in communities that may not be like their own.

My Sister’s House is too small to provide services across the San Joaquin Valley, Valmores said. “The best-case scenario, we believe, is to be able to partner with other mainstream domestic violence shelters to work with them,” she said. “How can they be more responsive in underserved communities?”

Asians and Pacific Islanders make up about 15 percent of the state’s population, according to the U.S. Census.

Merced County’s population is about 8 percent Asian and includes one of the largest Hmong populations in the country. There are also significant Indian and Mien populations in the county.

Alison Tudor, the executive director of the Valley Crisis Center, said the cultural competency meeting is part of a process to make sure the local services are able to help Merced County victims of any background.

Representatives of different Asian cultures will be on hand to answer questions. Each will answer a handful of questions at the start of the meeting, Tudor said.

For example, organizers will ask: “How does your community respond to violence or abuse between couples in a relationship?” or “How is Valley Crisis Center viewed by your community? What can we do to improve that view?”

“Every community has a different way of responding to violence, so it’s just an opportunity to have a deeper understanding,” Tudor said about the meeting.

For more on the event or on domestic violence, call the Valley Crisis Center at (209) 725-7900.

The center’s website is www.valleycrisiscenter.org. The center also offers a 24-hour crisis hotline at (209) 722-4357.

This story was originally published June 16, 2015 at 3:22 PM with the headline "Meeting will examine services for victims of domestic violence."