Emerge Center for Domestic Abuse celebrates 50 years of service

The Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse was at the Arizona State School for the Deaf & Blind, celebrating a historic milestone as they reached their golden anniversary.

Hundreds of people from across Tucson came to pay their respects to Emerge and their five decades of supporting domestic violence survivors across the entire community.

Elise Lopez, Vice President of Operations at the Emerge Center, has seen the direct impact the Emerge Center has had on people’s lives.

"So I have family and friends who received services from Emerge in the past," Lopez stated. "So I was already familiar with the organization in that way. And Emerge sees the humanity in everyone, whether we’re talking about survivors in the community, employees and volunteers in our organization, and even people who’ve harmed others in the community as well."

She wasn’t alone, as Vice Chairwoman Janet Linton says the ASDB was full of community members touched by the efforts of the Emerge Center.

"We’re so happy that the community has come out to support us because we really need it right now to continue to serve those in our community and survivors in the community," Linton stated.

The Emerge Center started in 1975 and has since spent over half a century giving domestic violence survivors the tools they need to stay safe.

This includes emergency shelter, legal services, and community education.

“There are thousands of people every year who reach out to us for help," Lopez stated.

There was music, speeches, and shout-outs to community members who made the efforts of the Emerge Center possible.

“It means thousands of lives saved, and families and children being provided safe spaces and support for whatever situation they’ve been in," Linton stated.

While the center has come a long way, they are still working hard to end domestic violence once and for all.

"You know, when we’re working in violence work, we like to say we would love to be out of a job in that we weren’t needed anymore," Lopez stated. "But until that day comes, I would love to see our organization be able to continue to grow and serve people in our community."