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Town Declares October Domestic Violence Awareness Month


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
October 1, 2014
MEDIA CONTACTS: Carole Trottere, Ryan Mulholland, Sam Marksheid, and Rebecca Cheng | (516) 869-7794

Town Declares October Domestic Violence Awareness Month

North Hempstead, NY – – North Hempstead Town Supervisor Judi Bosworth and the Town Board invited representatives from The Safe Center to Town Hall on September 30th as they joined together to declare October Domestic Violence Awareness Month throughout the Town of North Hempstead.

The Safe Center has been formed as a result of the merger of the two non-profits, the Nassau County Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the Coalition Against Child Abuse and Neglect. This non-profit organization works on behalf of victims of domestic violence and child and adult victims of sexual assault and severe physical abuse.

“This partnership enables us to educate residents about the danger and prevalence of domestic violence,” Supervisor Bosworth said. “The Safe Center does an excellent job of giving victims the services and tools they need in order to cope. We are proud to collaborate with them in the community outreach effort, not just this month, but all year long.”

A key component of the educational program will be the display of silhouette figures throughout Town facilities this week that each tell a story about a woman who suffered from domestic violence. The silhouettes will be accompanied by a table with literature on the Safe Center and the services they provide.

“Our mission is to restore hope for victims of abuse,” Safe Center Education Coordinator Jean Keogh-Domingo said. “We are raising awareness so that victims know that they are not alone, there are trauma-informed services available and that hope is possible. We all have a role to play in assisting victims and creating safer communities that do not condone family violence.”

Domestic violence is a pattern of behavior used to establish power and control over another person through fear and intimidation, often including the threat or use of violence. It can include physical, emotional, psychological, financial, and/or sexual abuse.

The Safe Center hotline – (516) 542-0404 -- operates 24 hours per day and seven days per week for domestic violence victims. It received more than 6,400 calls in 2013 from victims of domestic abuse, officials said. Among other services, such as counseling, the Safe Center offers the only safe home in Nassau, which houses up to 15 individuals at any given time in a communal living arrangement.

Free literature in English and Spanish featuring resources for victims of abuse and sources of help will be available at the North Hempstead “Yes We Can” Community Center on Garden Street in Westbury, and at Town Hall and the Town Clerk’s office, both on Plandome Road in Manhasset.


Councilwoman Lee Seeman, Councilman Angelo Ferrara, Councilwoman Anna Kaplan, Safe Center Education Coordinator Jean Keogh-Doming, North Hempstead Town Supervisor Judi Bosworth, Councilman Peter Zuckerman, Town Clerk Wayne Wink and Councilwoman Dina De Giorgio declare October Domestic Violence Awareness Month at the September 30th Town Board meeting.

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