KENTUCKY TODAY

Last week it was announced the Kentucky Council Against Domestic Violence (KCADV) had undergone a major facelift, and would now be known as ZeroV: Kentucky United Against Violence.

According to the organization’s CEO, Angela Yannelli, “our mission is to abolish the social conditions and systems that spark, enable and amplify intimate partner violence, and to create communities where all Kentuckians can live and thrive in safety and peace.”

In a 20-minute launch video on Youtube (https://youtu.be/eO6VnmKeftc), ZeroV’s Communications Specialist Angela Conway explains that the rebranding will “pave the way for a bright and bigger future for our anti-violence organization.”

“Our old name no longer alighted with the full scope of what we do,” Conway said. “We advocate for survivors, but we will also challenge the systems that reinforce and perpetuate violence,” including poverty, racism, and homelessness among others.

ZeroV’s initiatives include:

• Amplifying the voices of survivors through policy and legislative work.

• Providing trauma-informed care for survivors through their 15 shelter networks reaching every county in the state.

• Mobilizing community members.

• Providing training on recognizing the signs of intimate partner violence.

• Empowering survivors through housing and financial support programs to help escape abusive situations.

• Working to change social and cultural norms that allow or perpetuate violence.

According to a study by the National Institutes of Health in 2021, 50% of women in the US will experience intimate partner violence in their lifetime, including physical or sexual assault or stalking. And in Kentucky 75% of these incidents will involve a firearm.

This rebranding is a multi-phase process for the agency, with updates to their documentation, signage, and directories to follow within the next several weeks.

Yannelli closed her statement saying that she hopes “you feel inspired to take part in this incredible movement; our movement as a Kentucky united against violence.”

For more information on the program, you can visit their new website at www.zerov.org.