I am excited to share with you that Domestic Violence Intervention Program (DVIP) of Iowa has announced they are planning to build a new emergency shelter to better serve the victims and survivors in our southeastern Iowa communities.

My name is Jill Nagle. I have been an Iowa City resident for the last 14 years and work in the community as a project manager for a local manufacturing company. I recently got involved with DVIP as a volunteer after learning more about the organization during Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October. I joined the DVIP force to make an impact on my community and because I know how important it is to improve the resources for domestic violence survivors.

The current DVIP emergency shelter has been serving the southeastern Iowa community for over 30 years. The shelter has been at capacity and can no longer meet the increasing demand for safety in our community, making this expansion a necessity. This $6 million project will double the capacity to provide safety to victim survivors.

One way this new shelter has been specifically designed to better help victim survivors heal from trauma is the inclusion of pod-style living and private meeting spaces to meet with advocates. DVIP has put years of planning into this new shelter, and now it’s our time to join them in the effort.

I urge readers to consider supporting this new emergency shelter. There are various ways to support the cause; you can volunteer your time with DVIP, contribute a monitory pledge, or help to spread the word.

Please visit https://dvipiowa.org/ to learn more on how you can help!

• DVIP volunteer and project manager Jillian Nagle, Iowa City, Iowa

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