4th Annual Safe Homes, Safe Streets Awareness Day and Reception

February 01, 2007 – For Immediate Release

TOPEKA, KS – This year, in a tumultuous year for women’s rights across the United States, the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence (KCSDV) turns 35 years old. KCSDV was founded on June 22, 1982. KCSDV celebrated with a cake last Thursday, announcing the news on social media and via email to its over 25 coalition member organizations across the state of Kansas. This year marks an amazing milestone in work that has already touched so many lives in Kansas and beyond.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Kansas Association of Domestic Violence Programs (KADVP) and the Kansas Organization of Sexual Assault Centers (KOSAC) were operating as separate state associations and bringing voices of survivors to the state level in their work.

On June 22, 1982, the Kansas Association of Domestic Violence Programs (KADVP) incorporated and became an official nonprofit. Later when KADVP and the Kansas Organization of Sexual Assault Centers decided to merge, the groups both agreed to reform the name to Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence (KCSDV) and use the existing 1982 corporation. The new name indicated the joining of the coalition’s work in both domestic violence and sexual assault – two things that were and sometimes still are separate social justice issues in the U.S.

Throughout the years, the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence (KCSDV) operated in home offices, in a converted garage, in a variety of rented office space – not all of it very nice, and today, in the organization’s current building that is owned by Friends of KCSDV about a block away from the Kansas state capitol building.