Survivors of crime living in rural Yolo County often face significant barriers to getting help, from long travel distances and limited transportation to concerns about privacy and a lack of nearby services. Thanks to a Community Health Improvement Grant from CommonSpirit Health Hospitals, Empower Yolo is expanding access to trauma-informed advocacy through a new partnership with RISE, Inc. and local law enforcement, ensuring more survivors can receive support, safety, and healing close to home.
The grant will fund the Rural Victim Advocacy Program (RVAP), a collaborative initiative designed to improve access to services for survivors of crime in rural Yolo County, where geographic isolation and limited resources can make seeking help especially difficult.
RISE, Inc. is a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing quality of life and promoting self-sufficiency in rural communities.
“Survivors living in rural communities often face unique barriers to accessing support, including transportation challenges, limited local resources, concerns about privacy, and a lack of nearby services. This program helps ensure that survivors in western rural Yolo County have access to compassionate, trauma-informed advocacy without having to travel long distances or navigate systems alone,” says Laura Guevara, Executive Director of RISE, Inc.
The program will serve survivors throughout Winters, Esparto, Capay Valley, Madison, Clarksburg, Knights Landing, Dunnigan, and surrounding unincorporated communities. Services are available to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, elder abuse, and other violent crimes, with a focus on reducing barriers faced by low-income families, Spanish-speaking residents, immigrants, and historically underserved communities. While these populations are prioritized, services are available to all survivors in need of advocacy, crisis response, or referrals.
Empower Yolo’s dedicated rural victim advocate will provide trauma-informed support through crisis intervention, safety planning, case management, and ongoing advocacy tailored to the needs of rural survivors, ensuring equitable access to justice and support services.
Guevara adds, “by bringing victim advocacy services directly into our rural communities, we will be increasing access for those individuals who may not otherwise seek or receive help. It allows survivors to connect with local organizations they already trust and receive support in a setting that is familiar, accessible, and culturally responsive.”
RISE will provide confidential office space in Esparto and Winters where Empower Yolo's mobile rural victim advocate will meet with survivors, connecting them with resources that promote safety, healing, and long-term stability, and helping survivors navigate complex systems. The advocate will also provide services at Empower Yolo's Knights Landing Resource Center, offering individual advocacy, group support, outreach, and educational workshops.
The rural victim advocate will help survivors understand their rights and options, develop safety plans, navigate the criminal justice system, and access housing, employment, food, and other essential resources. They will also connect survivors to Empower Yolo's broader continuum of services, including emergency shelter, transitional housing, counseling, legal advocacy, food and clothing assistance, household essentials through the organization’s resource centers, financial assistance, and housing programs that promote long-term self-sufficiency.
Additionally, a legal advocate is available at Winters Police Department on Mondays at 11 am to assist those seeking restraining orders by assessing safety needs, explaining legal options, helping complete and file court documents, accompanying survivors to hearings, and coordinating with Yolo County's Self-Help Center and legal aid partners when additional assistance is needed. Survivors will also receive safety planning and referrals to housing, counseling, and financial resources to address the broader challenges that often accompany seeking legal protection.
Recognizing that crime can have lasting emotional and psychological impacts, the program will expand access to mental and behavioral health services, trauma recovery resources, and referrals to specialized treatment providers. Survivors will have access to Empower Yolo's counseling services, individual therapy, culturally responsive care, and domestic violence support groups offered in both English and Spanish, providing safe, confidential spaces to build coping skills, reduce isolation, and begin healing.
Embedding a dedicated advocate within RISE's trusted community network creates a seamless connection between victim advocacy and other essential services. Through the partnership, survivors can also access emergency food distribution, clothing assistance, senior services, youth programs, education, workforce development opportunities, and recreational programs, ensuring wraparound services are available locally, reducing the need to travel outside their communities for support.
RVAP will also partner with Woodland Memorial Hospital to strengthen referrals for rural crime victims. Hospital staff and law enforcement will be able to connect survivors directly to Empower Yolo through its 24-hour crisis hotline, creating a seamless pathway from emergency medical care to advocacy, safety planning, and ongoing support.
“Having this partnership with Woodland Memorial Hospital and Empower Yolo strengthens the continuum of care for survivors. It allows us to coordinate referrals and ensure they receive timely support/follow-up services within their own communities,” says Guevara.
Empower Yolo and RISE hope the program will reach more underrepresented and underserved residents while increasing awareness that help is available locally.
"RISE's goal is to make sure every survivor in western rural Yolo County knows that support is available and accessible in their very own community. We hope this partnership helps increase awareness, removes barriers to services, strengthens collaboration between local organizations, and ultimately supports survivors in moving toward safety, healing, and long-term stability," says Guevara.
Community members also play an important role in the program's success.
"The community can support this program by helping raise awareness, sharing information about available services, and encouraging survivors to seek help when they are ready,” says Guevara.
For more information, contact Empower Yolo’s rural advocate, Vannesa Andrade at vannesa@empoweryolo.org or call 530-661-6336.
"RISE is honored and grateful to partner with Empower Yolo and Woodland Memorial Hospital to expand victim advocacy services into rural communities, especially those located west of the I-505. Together, we're helping ensure that geography is never a barrier to safety, support, or healing. At RISE, we believe that every survivor deserves access to compassionate services, regardless of where they live," adds Guevara.
By bringing advocacy directly into rural communities and combining the strengths of Empower Yolo, RISE, Inc., and Woodland Memorial Hospital, the Rural Victim Advocacy Program will make life-changing services more accessible for survivors who have historically faced the greatest barriers to care. Together, the partners are building a stronger network of support that empowers survivors to achieve greater safety, resilience, and independence—no matter where they live.