About iPledge
iPledge is a public awareness campaign that calls on everyday Philadelphians to speak out when they see or hear domestic violence in the community.
Every October, as part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, WAA holds an iPledge kickoff event to which the press and public are invited. The event typically draws 250 local and state political officers, the media, students and community members. In past years the event has been held at 33rd and Market in collaboration with Drexel University and Verizon Wireless.
This October, WAA is excited to expand its kickoff event by hosting it at Love Park. The public is invited to attend at 2 p.m. on October 5th.
The iPledge campaign also consists of posters and advertisements throughout the city that call attention to the importance of awareness for domestic violence. iPledge materials, such as cards, magnets and posters, are available for order year round.
iPledge is continuously growing and developing in response to community needs to spread its message and impact across the region.
iPledge History
Women Against Abuse first launched iPledge as a public awareness initiative in 2008. The mission of iPledge is to inform city residents about the ways in which they can have a real impact in shaping domestic violence outcomes in Philadelphia. iPledge is centered around the importance of effective bystander intervention as key to overall violence prevention.
iPledge has had many successes already. Women Against Abuse hosts an iPledge kickoff event at the beginning of October each year to mark the beginning of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. It has gathered community leaders and domestic violence advocates on an annual basis to rally community support. iPledge in its first year also played a role in gathering the political will and resources to enable WAA to move its emergency housing shelter to a new location with double the bed capacity.
Women Against Abuse
Women Against Abuse, Inc. (WAA) is one of the largest domestic violence programs in Pennsylvania. WAA serves more than 10,000 individuals each year through emergency shelter, transitional housing, legal services, hotline counseling, education and advocacy. WAA runs the only shelter in Philadelphia that specifically serves victims of domestic violence and operates the nation’s first legal center to address issues of domestic violence within the justice system.
The mission of WAA is to provide quality and compassionate services, in a manner that fosters self respect and independence in persons who have been victimized by domestic violence. WAA also works in the community to bring awareness to the epidemic of domestic violence and to train organizations and volunteers to respond effectively to domestic violence.
To learn more about WAA and the services we provide, visit our main Web site at womenagainstabuse.org. To learn more about getting help, click here.
Contact WAA
If you are in an abusive relationship, call the Philadelphia Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-866-SAFE-014 to speak to a crisis counselor.
For help with a domestic violence legal issue, call the WAA Legal Center at 215-686-7082.
For more information about WAA, the iPledge campaign, volunteering or making a donation, call 215-386-1280.
