How Do We Empower Women To Fight Back?
1 in 4 women experience severe domestic partner physical violence. It is imperative to teach women the skills to defend themselves should the need arise. Heather Knight is an Atlanta police officer who teaches self-defense classes for women who are survivors of domestic violence.
Officer Knight often responds to domestic violence calls while on duty. As a police officer, there’s not a lot she can do other than make sure the victim is safe. She is not allowed to recommend services, because that would be considered an endorsement by a police officer. But the idea that 1 in 4 women experience severe domestic partner physical violence just did not sit right with officer Knight. She decided to start her own nonprofit organization “Surviving to Thriving Inc Atlanta” where women can seek self-defense and lifestyle classes.
They offer courses for survivors of domestic violence such as:
- Self Defense
- Job Interview Skills
- Resume Building
- Budgeting
- Counseling Services
Surviving to Thriving is dedicated to helping women leave domestic violence situations for good.
They are currently partnered with a state agency that charges them $25 per piece of equipment every time they use it.
Current equipment needs:
- Nun chucks
- Boxing Bags
- Boxing Pear
- Boxing Gloves
- Mats
Self Defense classes can make a huge difference for domestic violence survivors, not just with their skills, but also their self confidence. Experiencing violence of any sort can have a lasting impact on the lives of many people. Officer Knight hopes to help these women get back on their feet and out of their bad situations.
About GrantWatch
A trusted resource since 2010. For more than 16 years, GrantWatch has helped nonprofits, small businesses, schools, government agencies, and individuals discover funding opportunities and navigate the grant process with confidence. Thousands of organizations rely on GrantWatch's extensive database of verified grants and funding resources to identify opportunities and secure support for meaningful projects.
Today, GrantWatch supports organizations across the full grant lifecycle through a single, streamlined platform. In addition to access to more than 11,000 active, verified, and human-curated grant opportunities, the platform includes a centralized Dashboard that serves as the command center for the GrantWatch Full Grant Lifecycle Platform, giving users a centralized view of opportunities, deadlines, research, and workflow activity across the 12-stage Grant Pipeline. Users also benefit from integrated tools including the AI Grant Finder, AI Grant Writing Tool, My Grant Calendar, Grant Alerts, Foundation Search, and Awarded Grant Search, helping move funding efforts from discovery to award and measurable impact.
GrantWatch, founded by Libby Hikind, is the author of The Queen of Grants series, including The Queen of Grants series: The Queen of Grants: From Teacher to Grant Writer to CEO and The Queen of Grants 2: GrantTalk Secrets for the New Era of Writing. Drawing on decades of experience in the grants industry, GrantWatch was created to simplify how organizations discover, evaluate, and pursue funding opportunities.
