About Us

Few people are aware that there is help BEFORE violent, criminal domestic violence occurs, or even reoccurs. Our motto is “INTERVENTION IS PREVENTION” because we believe that, in addition to educating the community, we must hold offenders accountable and provide resources to rehabilitate them in order to strengthen families and break the cycle.

Step Up to Family Saftey is a Charlotte-based 501 (c)3. 

Step Up to Family Safety was created in 2014 after several people familiar with the work of a local state-certified private Domestic Violence Intervention Program (DVIP) asked how they could support the program. They encouraged founder and owner Bea Coté to think about how to educate more people about domestic violence, and how to reach more men to give access to the successful intervention program.

We are one of only a few domestic violence education and prevention nonprofits in the country that not only educates the public about DV but also works to prevent it by striking at the root cause: the abuser. Most DV agencies serve victims after they’ve been assaulted over a long period. Few people are aware that there is help BEFORE violent, criminal DV occurs. Our motto is “INTERVENTION IS PREVENTION” because we believe that, in addition to educating the community, we must hold offenders accountable and provide resources to rehabilitate them in order to strengthen families and break the cycle. The earlier the better!

Our initiatives:

  1. Educate and train community groups, DV workers, and court personnel about all types of DV, and DV intervention;
  2. Provide scholarships to low-income men to help them complete an intervention program; and
  3. Provide training and support for people who have completed the curriculum so that they remain involved as peer facilitators and community advocates because this unique training-the-trainer type model (which we call Legacy) ripples out to affect families and unacknowledged abusers.

YOU CAN HELP!

We rely on community donations to do this early intervention and prevention work that greatly improves lives where violent family members are preventing safety and security in the home. We are grateful for each and every donation! 

We believe in the community’s understanding and financial support for the life-altering and life-saving value of our work.

IMPACT TESTIMONIALS

I wanted to send a quick note to tell you how grateful I am to you, your TEAM of Facilitators, and the entire IMPACT family. I say without reservations you saved my life, and my marriage My beliefs and the choices that I made toward my wife and people in general were changed forever as I took a close look at myself and my actions. I now am in the best place in my marriage, I work everyday to be a better husband, father, employee, and leader. Without you I could never be where I am today. I can’t thank you enough!
Eternally Grateful,
Gregg

“The Impact program was a life-changing process for me. I had originally been very skeptical about my need to even be in such a program. From my very first meeting, the counselors and group members made me feel welcome. That is not to say it was a big group hug. The counselors and senior group members held me accountable at every meeting, making sure to call “BS” when appropriate. In addition to physical abuse, I learned an immense amount by about emotional abuse, which for me was an incredible eye opener. I had been guilty of emotional abuse for years but didn’t even realize it, or the severe impacts it had on my wife (unfortunately now ex-wife). I became intensely aware of my personal shortcoming, male privilege, and the influence that had on pretty much every aspect of my life. I know Impact technically served its purpose for me but it has done so much more. The Legacy program keeps me accountable and gives me continued support as well as new opportunities to learn even more about my shortcomings and further my personal growth. All in all, the Impact program and related Legacy program have made me a better man, one I can be very proud of!”

~Phil

“I will always consider you my lifeline, my lifesaver, my absolute reason I’m still here today. You answered that phone when nobody would and you gave me hope and that’s all I needed in that moment. There would be two less people on this Earth had you not answered.”

~Tina L.

“Personally everything I have studied and taken part in seems to have a lot of good and some bad. Your program is great at really making people look at there selves instead of just one situation or setting. I truly enjoy weekly groups and would love to remain involved long after my family returns home.”

~Impact Participant