True North of Columbia

True North of Columbia We are a comprehensive domestic and sexual violence victim service program reachable via 24/7 hotline

True North is Boone County’s intimate partner violence and sexual assault victim services program. The agency provides a safe, emergency shelter offered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year to victims of intimate partner violence who are fleeing abusive situations, and also provides a variety of advocacy services, individual counseling, and support groups for victims regardless of whethe

r they are residing in the shelter or not. True North is also committed to social change, working to reduce incidents of domestic and sexual violence in our community and reducing the tolerance for these crimes through the provision of violence prevention education and awareness activities.

With thirteen days until Little Black Dress, we’re grateful to recognize our silver sponsor, Stifel Financial Corp..Your...
04/25/2026

With thirteen days until Little Black Dress, we’re grateful to recognize our silver sponsor, Stifel Financial Corp..

Your support helps sustain the steady, reliable presence survivors deserve, strengthening access to resources, care, and pathways forward that honor their autonomy.

We’re grateful for the way you stand alongside this work and what your partnership helps make possible.

Thirteen days. We gather with purpose.

With fourteen days until Little Black Dress, we’re grateful to recognize our silver sponsors, Ruby Kuhler and Phillip Ku...
04/24/2026

With fourteen days until Little Black Dress, we’re grateful to recognize our silver sponsors, Ruby Kuhler and Phillip Kuhler.

Your support reflects a quiet and meaningful commitment to this work, helping ensure survivors have access to care, stability, and the resources they need to move forward on their own terms.

We’re thankful for the way you stand alongside this mission and what your partnership helps make possible.

Fourteen days. We gather with purpose.

Your outfit can tell a story. As we get closer to our Little Black Dress event, we’re sharing a little outfit inspiratio...
04/24/2026

Your outfit can tell a story.

As we get closer to our Little Black Dress event, we’re sharing a little outfit inspiration for the evening. Whether your look is classic, bold, simple, or uniquely you, what matters most is that you feel comfortable and confident.

The Little Black Dress theme is a tradition, but how you interpret it is completely up to you. Dress it up, dress it down, add your own style, and make it your own. This night is about coming together in support of survivors, and every guest brings their own story and strength to the room.

Looking for the perfect piece? Check out Upscale Resale for beautiful and affordable finds. Shopping secondhand is a great way to discover a one-of-a-kind look while supporting a local business.

There’s still time to join us. Tickets and tables are still available through the Little Black Dress event page linked in True North of Columbia’s Facebook and Instagram bio.

We can’t wait to see how you show up, stand with survivors, and celebrate a powerful evening together.

Fifteen days until Little Black Dress, we begin our sponsor appreciation series by recognizing our bronze sponsor, Show ...
04/23/2026

Fifteen days until Little Black Dress, we begin our sponsor appreciation series by recognizing our bronze sponsor, Show Me Healthy Relationships Missouri.

Your support helps lay an important foundation for this work, advancing prevention, education, and awareness that strengthen the pathways toward safety and healthy connection.

We’re grateful to have you alongside this mission as we move toward an evening rooted in purpose and impact.

Fifteen days. We gather with purpose.

When people experience trauma, the brain activates survival responses designed to protect them. Many people are familiar...
04/22/2026

When people experience trauma, the brain activates survival responses designed to protect them.

Many people are familiar with fight or flight, but there are actually four common trauma responses: fight, flight, freeze, and fawn.

These reactions are automatic responses from the nervous system, not conscious decisions. Understanding these responses can help challenge harmful myths about how survivors "should" react during traumatic situations.

Education helps create more compassionate, informed communities.

If you or someone you know needs support, True North of Columbia offers confidential advocacy and resources.

You are not alone.

Sexual violence is surrounded by myths that keep survivors silent and shift responsibility away from those who cause har...
04/20/2026

Sexual violence is surrounded by myths that keep survivors silent and shift responsibility away from those who cause harm. During Sexual Assault Awareness Month, we’re breaking down some of the most common misconceptions and replacing them with facts.

The truth is: sexual violence is more common than many people realize, survivors often know the person who harmed them, and many never report because of fear, stigma, or concerns about being believed.

When we challenge harmful myths, we help create a culture that supports survivors, encourages accountability, and promotes safer communities.

Education leads to awareness.
Awareness leads to change.

Learn the facts.
Believe survivors.
Be part of creating a safer community.

If you or someone you know needs support, True North is here 24/7.
573-875-1370

💙

Less than one month until Little Black Dress 2026.There’s still time to join us.This powerful evening brings our communi...
04/17/2026

Less than one month until Little Black Dress 2026.

There’s still time to join us.

This powerful evening brings our community together to stand with survivors and support the life-changing work happening every day at True North of Columbia. Every ticket purchased helps ensure survivors in Boone County have access to safety, advocacy, and support when they need it most.

Tickets are still available, and we would love to see you there.

Visit the link in our bio to purchase tickets, explore sponsorship opportunities, and learn more about the purpose behind the event.

Together, we can create a community where survivors are supported, believed, and never alone.

Sexual Assault Awareness Month: Our ServicesSupport is available for individuals and families in many different ways, an...
04/15/2026

Sexual Assault Awareness Month: Our Services

Support is available for individuals and families in many different ways, and our team is here to help every step of the way.

Emergency Shelter
Safe shelter is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year for survivors of domestic and sexual violence and their minor children who are fleeing abusive situations.

Domestic Violence Enforcement Unit (DOVE)
DOVE is Columbia’s coordinated response to domestic violence, partnering with local law enforcement, the prosecutor’s office, and probation and parole. Support is available 24/7 for assistance with orders of protection and emotional support in court.

Outreach & Community Education
True North provides education and awareness presentations for audiences of all ages to help prevent violence and build safer communities.

24/7 Hotline
Confidential support is available anytime for emotional support, safety planning, and referrals.
📞 1-800-548-2480

Domestic & Sexual Violence Education
Individual sessions provide education about the dynamics of domestic and sexual violence, including crisis intervention, safety planning, and advocacy services.

Hospital Advocacy
Trained advocates provide support for survivors of sexual violence in local emergency rooms, offering crisis intervention, emotional support, and information about resources.

Counseling
Individual counseling supports survivors in trauma recovery and healing.

Support Groups
Weekly group sessions offer connection, encouragement, and support for survivors healing from relationship and sexual violence.

If you or someone you know needs support, True North is here to help.

Conversations about consent are an important part of building healthy relationships and safer communities.Consent means ...
04/13/2026

Conversations about consent are an important part of building healthy relationships and safer communities.

Consent means clear, voluntary, and ongoing agreement. It involves communication, respect for boundaries, and the understanding that every person has the right to make decisions about their own body.

Learning about consent helps challenge harmful myths, encourage respectful communication, and prevent harm. Education and open conversations can play a meaningful role in creating communities where people feel safe, respected, and supported.

During Sexual Assault Awareness Month, we continue to share information and resources that help raise awareness and support survivors.

If you or someone you know needs support, True North is here 24/7.
573-875-1370

💙

Yesterday, True North had the honor of presenting at the End Violence Against Women International Conference in New Orle...
04/08/2026

Yesterday, True North had the honor of presenting at the End Violence Against Women International Conference in New Orleans.

We are proud of our Executive Director, Michele Snodderley, standing alongside Detective Renee Wilbarger of the Columbia Missouri Police Department sharing what it really looks like to support survivors—together.

Collaboration is not created through an MOU or a document. It is built through relationships. It takes time, trust, communication, and a shared commitment to doing what is best for survivors.

When those relationships exist, survivors experience a more coordinated, compassionate response. They don’t have to repeat their story as many times. They are less likely to fall through the cracks. They are met with consistency, respect, and a team that is working in alignment on their behalf.

But when those relationships are missing, the impact is real.

Systems feel disjointed. Communication breaks down. Survivors can feel confused, unsupported, or even retraumatized. Gaps in response can unintentionally place more burden on the very people we are trying to help.

As advocates, our role is not to make the work of law enforcement harder, just as their role is not to replace advocacy. We each have distinct, critical roles—and when we respect those roles and work in partnership, the response is stronger.

This work requires intention. It requires humility. And it requires showing up, again and again, to build trust across disciplines.

Because when we truly work together, survivors are better supported. And when we don’t, they are the ones who carry the cost.

Denim Day began after a controversial court ruling in Italy suggested that a victim’s tight jeans implied consent. The d...
04/08/2026

Denim Day began after a controversial court ruling in Italy suggested that a victim’s tight jeans implied consent. The decision sparked international outrage and led women in the Italian Parliament to wear jeans in protest.

That protest grew into a global movement challenging victim-blaming and supporting survivors of sexual violence.

Today, Denim Day encourages people around the world to wear denim as a visible statement that clothing never equals consent.

Denim Day is coming up on April 29, 2026.
Join us by wearing denim, starting conversations, and standing in solidarity with survivors.

Survivor services in Missouri need your voice. Right now, Missouri’s Senate is reviewing the state budget, and funding d...
04/07/2026

Survivor services in Missouri need your voice.

Right now, Missouri’s Senate is reviewing the state budget, and funding decisions will directly impact services that support survivors of domestic and sexual violence across our state.

The House Budget Committee recently restored the $1 million cut to Domestic Violence Shelter Services (DVSS). Now, the Senate must maintain the full $9.6 million in DVSS funding and add at least $15 million in VOCA funding to sustain current victim service programs.

These funds help ensure that survivor support services, including advocacy, shelter, crisis response, and resources, remain available for those who need them.
To be clear: our doors are not closing.

But funding decisions like these determine our ability to meet the needs of survivors today and in the future.

You can help protect these services by contacting your Missouri Senator and urging them to:
• Maintain full DVSS funding
• Add $15 million in VOCA funding

Your voice helps ensure survivors continue to receive the support they deserve.

Find your senator and take action: https://www.senate.mo.gov/BillTracking/LegislatorLookup/

Address

1901 Pennsylvania Drive, Ste A
Columbia, MO
65202

Telephone

(800) 548-2480

Website

https://linktr.ee/truenorthofcolumbia, https://sites.google.com/view/littleblackdre

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True North is Boone County’s intimate partner and sexual violence victim services program. The agency provides a safe, emergency shelter offered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year to victims of intimate partner violence who are fleeing abusive situations, and also provides a variety of advocacy services, individual counseling, and support groups for victims regardless of whether they are residing in the shelter or not. True North is also committed to social change, working to reduce incidents of domestic and sexual violence in our community and reducing the tolerance for these crimes through the provision of violence prevention education and awareness activities.