“It Takes a Community to Stop the Violence in a Village”: The Mission of the Gwinnett County Family Violence Task Force

The Gwinnett County Family Violence Task Force advocates for victims to produce hope and nourish the “spirit of survivorship” in each victim. 

“We are advocates for hope so victims can become survivors,” shared Trina Bradford, a board member with the Gwinnett County Family Violence Task Force.

The Gwinnett County Family Violence Task Force was established in 1992 and has been serving Gwinnett for over 30 years, meeting a growing need in the county.

“According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, family violence incidents statewide increased by 12% from 2023 to 2024,” said Heather Brooks, who serves as a board member and co-chair on the fundraising committee with Trina. She’s also worked in the victim services field for over 20 years.

“The Georgia Commission on Family Violence reports that Gwinnett County ranks in the 50th percentile for family violence incidents per capita. But research consistently shows that family violence is one of the most chronically under-reported crimes.”

As a victim advocate, Heather has seen firsthand the need for education regarding victim support. 

“I’ve worked in the Solicitor’s office. I’ve worked in the District Attorney’s office. I’ve seen how family violence cases can progress. What may begin as a misdemeanor offense can quickly escalate into a felony offense or become fatal,” Heather said.

“There is a need to support victims through the legal process. To be a victim of a crime is one thing, but then they must go through a legal process where they may not understand the legal jargon or what’s happening in court.”

As advocates, Heather and Trina walk victims through that process. Both Heather and Trina have served on the Task Force together for over four years, and under the leadership of its Board, the Task Force has been recognized twice as Task Force of the Year by the Georgia Commission on Family Violence.

Though Heather brings a background in victim services, Trina’s background is finance. When Trina heard about the need for a new treasurer on the Task Force and how the organization was serving, she was eager to step in. Together, she, Heather and other volunteer members of the task force are raising awareness about the many forms domestic violence can take.

Trina shared that prior to joining the Task Force, she was one of those people who believed domestic violence was only physical violence.

“Part of the reason why domestic violence goes unreported is that there’s a misunderstanding as to what it is. Now my eyes have been opened to the different types of violence. It can also be emotional, verbal or financial,” said Trina.

Some in the community may also misunderstand why victims stay in an abusive relationship. Sometimes it’s because of financial burdens or because the victim doesn’t know where to turn. Sometimes it’s even because of a pet!

“Some people might think, ‘It’s just a pet.’ But [to a victim], that’s their family. That might be their safe space. They’ll stay [in an unsafe situation] just to make sure their pet is okay,” Heather explained.

As one of the longest-standing task forces in Georgia, this nonprofit organization focuses on awareness, education and advocacy so that community members can accurately understand the varied needs of victims.

The organization’s website and newsletter offer resources to educate the community on the many forms abuse can take and to connect victims and survivors to the help they need. Task Force members also attend local events to hand out brochures and spark conversations to bring awareness about the issues of domestic violence.

The Gwinnett task force is a multidisciplinary team of volunteers. 

“We have members from nonprofit organizations, law enforcement, prosecutor offices and victim advocacy organizations,” Heather explained. “Some are survivors of domestic violence who want to be involved and make a difference to stop family violence through education and heightened community awareness because of what they’ve gone through.”

And through volunteer efforts and local partnerships, the Task Force can do more than advocate for change; they can also provide support to victims. 

“Last year, the task force heard about a domestic violence survivor and her three children who were in need during the holiday season. We were able to support her and her family financially by purchasing, wrapping and delivering gifts to them for Christmas,” Heather explained.

“We hope to start providing more individual donations to survivors who are challenged financially.”

Near the end of 2024, the task force connected with Community Foundation CEO DePriest Waddy and later built a new partnership by becoming a fundholder with the Foundation.

“As a fundholder, our money is being managed. But being a fundholder also gives us exposure that turns into funding to provide for a family at Christmas, for a food stipend or for medicine and toiletries,” Trina shared. “We want to galvanize the community because it does take a community to stamp out all types of violence.

“Just as it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a community to stop the violence in a village.”

To partner with the Gwinnett Family Violence Task Force as they advocate for victims and survivors, click here to donate to their fund.