Donald Trump’s reelection to the presidency may put resources for women’s health and safety in danger. In his own words, he thinks “killing Roe v. Wade and moving it back to the states…is something that everybody wanted.” And according to Project 2025, the ‘blueprint’ for Trump’s presidency written by his advisors, he’ll go far past overturning Roe v. Wade. The document promises to slash access to many types of abortion, ban some contraception, and defund United Nations initiatives for women’s health. These policy changes will affect hundreds of thousands of Americans. Understandably, people are scared.

However, local and state resources exist to protect women’s health and safety. In our hometown of Charlottesville, we’re lucky to have a lot of them. The hard work of their volunteers and employees has protected women for decades, and thanks to them, this protection will continue, even through Trump’s next presidency. Here are five organizations supporting women’s health and safety in Charlottesville.

1. Sexual Assault Resource Agency (SARA)

SARA, located at 335 Greenbrier Dr, gives survivors of sexual assault access to mental health support, legal guidance, and advocacy at medical visits. “All our services are completely free,” explains Priya Bajaj, SARA’s development manager. “And since we are not mandated reporters, everything is fully confidential.”

Another resource SARA runs is their hotline, which Ms. Bajaj says is available for high schoolers 24/7. “If you ever have questions, or if you know someone who might be experiencing [abuse], you can call at any point, and someone will always be there to chat with you,” she says. “If you think you need medical care, then great. We’ll talk about what that process is and the different reporting states. If you are having a panic attack, then we can help calm you down, and bring you back to a place where you can walk back to the classroom or the dinner table.”

At their office, SARA offers mental health support, medical appointments, and help through the criminal justice process. If requested, their legal staff can accompany you to police interviews and court appearances. For mental health support, SARA’s psychologists can meet regularly, and their sessions are always free of charge. If you ever need to visit the ER for a Physical Evidence Recovery Kit (a PERK exam), then advocates from SARA can accompany you and walk you through the process. “They will just be a support system,” Ms. Bajaj explains. She says medical and legal advocates from SARA are trained to be “a person who [a survivor] can depend on, and rely on to be a voice for them when they are having trouble finding their own.”

2. The Women’s Initiative

Approximately one in five American women have a mental health issue each year, but only half of them access mental health care. The Women’s Initiative aims to fix this problem. The Initiative’s mission is to provide their patients with “effective counseling, social support, and education,” no matter if they can pay for it.

If you or someone you know could use their service, the Women’s Initiative does walk-in appointments on Tuesdays from 9-11 and Wednesdays from 2-5. If you prefer to see a counselor who is fluent in Spanish, come by on Wednesdays 2-4 or call 434-328-1800. As long as you aren’t in an emergency situation, the Women’s Initiative also takes calls on Monday mornings and Thursday evenings at 434-872-0047.
Aside from therapy, the Women’s Initiative runs support groups and weekly clubs. Some of their affinity programs are Bienestar for Latina women and the Sister Circle for BIPOC women. Weekly meetings, such as the C’ville Trans Women Circle of Support, Chihamba West African Dance, and Queer History Club, happen in the Women’s Initiative building at 1101 East High Street. If you want to support the Women’s Initiative, you can donate via their website or look into volunteering.

3. Blue Ridge Abortion Fund (BRAF)

If you walk into a public event in Charlottesville and see an empty pickle jar, then most women who’ve lived in our city for a long time can tell you it has a larger meaning. For decades, dropping a donation into a pickle jar was the best way to give money to the Blue Ridge Abortion Fund, which operated discreetly out of necessity. But after thirty-five years of operation, the fund’s impact on central Virginia goes way beyond a pickle jar.
According to BRAF’s website, the organization’s mission is “to provide community members with financial support, transportation, and lodging assistance” to access safe procedures, because “abortion is legal in Virginia, but legal does not always mean accessible or attainable”. BRAF closes this accessibility gap by opening up the option to have an abortion to community members who can’t afford it, but need to prioritize their health and stability.
If you or someone you love ever need their help or just want to consider your options, please leave a voicemail at 434-963-0669. Messages are completely confidential and a trained intake staff member will call you back within 48 hours. BRAF doesn’t ask about your immigration status, financial situation, or family. They are not mandated reporters, so if you’re a student under 18, your call will still be confidential.
Since 1989, the Blue Ridge Abortion Fund has been working to make safe, accessible procedures an option for anyone in the Charlottesville community. As their website says, “together we are building a world where abortion is accessible, and people having abortions are loved and supported”.

4. One Love

In 2017, UVA lacrosse player Yeardley Love was tragically killed by her ex-boyfriend. No one in her family had known he was abusive, and they were devastated at the loss of their daughter. In the wake of her death, Ms. Love’s mom and sister wanted their family’s tragedy to never happen to anyone else. They founded One Love as an organization to educate young people about abusive relationships, how to end them, and how to build healthy ones.

One Love started in Charlottesville, but it’s now a national nonprofit. Their website has valuable resources about healthy relationships. One Love can also give you tools to help a friend if you’re worried they aren’t safe in their relationship. They have a list of useful resources as well, so if you want to learn more about healthy vs. unhealthy relationships, please visit their website.

If you need immediate help, you can speak to a trained Peer Advocate at One Love over a phone call or text at 866-331-9474. Their help is completely free and confidential.

5. Shelter for Help in Emergency (SHE)

For almost fifty years, SHE has been a critical resource in Charlottesville. It was founded in 1977 to provide a short-term safe house for women and families to protect them from abusive relationships.

Today, SHE’s residential program houses people for up to six weeks if they’re in a highly dangerous situation at home. All of their residential services are completely free. “Everything is completely accessible,” says Clare O’Reilly, SHE’s community engagement coordinator. “If anyone needs gift cards to pay for food or gas, we take care of that. We’re even giving out Christmas presents right now, because when someone is here in a transition period, it can be hard to keep track of that.”

The shelter also provides a pet safety program, where pets are given a free place to stay at an offsite pet care facility. According to Ms. O’Reilly, “The pet safety program removes a huge barrier, because a lot of the time when people are trying to leave an abusive situation, they don’t want to leave the animal behind.” Like SARA, SHE also provides legal advocates, some of whom are fluent in Spanish.

Overall, SHE is focused on helping adults and families, but they also have programs for high school students. O’Reilly says, “If you’re under eighteen, we can’t provide our housing to you, because you’re not adults… but we have a lot of education and prevention programs that are designed for you.” SHE will often come to schools and public events like Cville Pride, so feel free to visit their tables for more information.