Communication is a key component to awareness and the Diamond Divas Empowerment Foundation makes sure of it on their end.
The Diamonds Divas Empowerment Foundation is a Black-owned nonprofit organization dedicated to educating, strengthening, and empowering women and children affected by domestic violence and various socio-economic conditions.
“We are part of the Violence of Office Prevention, with St. Louis City, ” said Bran-dee Jelks, Co-Founder/Director of Programs. “So, we are consistently in the public every third Saturday of the month with them, and they have been pushing that initiative through several platforms as far as TV and radio.”
Addressing domestic violence is a priority for the city and for good reason. In the city of St. Louis, the Missouri Highway Patrol reports that approximately 2,200 incidents of domestic violence are reported to police annually, so making sure resources are available to help victims is critical.
Jelks said getting the word to the right people is an important part of their process. For example, www.2def.org is a great way to find them, she said. They also invest time and resources in community outreach, conducting interviews with people in need and sponsoring festivals to raise awareness.
Shantasha Love, Director of Business/Program Development, says the emphasis is primarily on making sure people know where they can go to find help, rather than advertising these important services.
“We have to understand that we are a domestic violence organization so security is a must and is very important,” Love said. “What we go out and do is provide awareness about domestic violence, what it looks like to be in a domestic violence situation, but not as far as our services as far as what we do.”
Jelks reiterated the importance of awareness and how the Diamond Divas Foundation is doing its part to reach those in need.
“We are in the process of doing some PSA’s just to bring awareness that our name will be affiliated with knowing where to go for help,” Jelks said. “Also, we are part of pamphlets that actual police hand out, as far as domestic violence when they go into those situations; when they feel like it’s domestic, they can have a resource guide. We have become part of that as well.”
But members of the Diamond Divas Foundation recognize there is strength in numbers, so they stand together with other organizations, like the Office of Violence Prevention.
“Domestic violence has so many layers, that we have other partners that are great partners as well,” Jelks said. “We stand together as a community and we share resources. So, where our services end, other agencies’ services begin. Such as Haven of Grace, we send our counseling to them. If we need to extend someone’s emergency hotel stay, we work with them as well.”
Individuals looking for shelter can contact Diamond Divas to help locate those shelters with availability, Jelks said. The Diamond Divas also have several key events that are coming up this year.
“We have three anchor events,” said Jelks. “We have already celebrated the 11th year in our Love Package Program, which is our personal hygiene drive and giveaway. We support all the domestic violence shelters along with other agencies and the public if they need those.”
Diamond Divas promote the ‘Pathway To Brightness” empowerment program along with the “Real Men Don’t Hit” mentorship program. The founder, Eddie Ross, is working with local schools to teach entrepreneurship to young men while also helping them to understand how they can understand their emotions and channel them in positive, not violent, ways.
Diamond Divas will have its fourth annual domestic violence rally and march on Oct. 19, 2024, to recognize Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
