Supporting domestic violence survivors in rural Minnesota
Years after her case had ended and she was in a safe, stable situation, a mother returned to the Southwest Crisis Center (SWCC). She came because it remained the one place where she felt completely safe and seen.
In Minnesota, 44 percent of domestic violence homicides occurred outside the Twin Cities Metro Area in 2025. Rural communities have a significant need for in-person resources, but barriers to access slow the healing process for survivors. Geographic isolation, limited housing and fewer and sparser resources make it harder for domestic violence victims to safely leave abusive relationships.
SWCC serves a six-county region across southwest Minnesota. They provide resources and a personal presence in a compassionate and safe way, so every person has a chance to start healing.
For nearly 40 years, SWCC has been a consistent presence for survivors of domestic violence. This is in part due to the center’s leadership. Executive Director Sara Wahl has been in her position since 2011. Assistant Executive Director Kari Voss-Drost started in 2012 as an advocate before becoming a program manager and eventually the assistant director.
From a young age, Voss-Drost was acutely aware of the high rate at which women experienced violence. “Now, as a parent of young daughters, I want the world to be a safer, kinder and more respectful place for them to grow up in. I want them to know that their beauty never diminishes their intelligence, that their voices deserve to be heard and that their opinions have value,” Voss-Drost said.
Through a strong relationship with the Department of Public Safety’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), SWCC stays connected with other victim advocate organizations, attends training opportunities from OJP and shares best practices with other organizations. SWCC staff have also served on OJP grant panels as reviewers, providing an opportunity for them to learn more about statewide needs.
The challenges survivors face in rural Minnesota are significant, and they can be easy for outsiders to overlook. Transitional housing options are limited statewide and even scarcer in rural areas. Few options for living arrangements makes the decision to return to an abusive situation an unfortunate but real option.
Geographic isolation — when a person does not live close to services or have reliable transportation — can make accessing resources and advocate help more difficult because of long distances, lack of reliable transportation and unpredictable weather.
Despite the challenges they face to help survivors, SWCC works hard to meet people where they are when someone reaches out. The first contact can be frightening, so SWCC advocates listen, offer reassurance and provide as many options as they can. Sharing what options are available is important so survivors understand they are firmly in charge of their own lives.
SWCC provides trauma-informed support, centering survivors and moving them forward with safety in mind. The work SWCC does cannot be done alone. Along with support from OJP, they partner with legal aid, churches, community groups, law enforcement, county attorneys, medical and mental health providers, and social services. These partnerships expand access to resources and improve coordinated responses, providing an easier way to navigate systems that can otherwise feel overwhelming.
Domestic Violence Awareness Month is an opportunity for SWCC to look back and reflect on the impact they’ve made. Along with the mother who kept coming back, Voss-Drost shared two other stories that remind her of how important the work is that they do.
One woman attends every parole hearing, year after year, to protect herself and her children.
Another survivor shared, “I feel like a weight is lifted just telling you this.”
Stories like these fuel an advocate organization like SWCC. It makes the hard work and the persistence needed worth it.
“I do this work because on a very foundational level, each person deserves safety,” Wahl said. Each person deserves to heal from what harmed them. Each person is resilient in their own way. I am lucky to get to be part of this process.”
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