By now, most of you have seen the video which led the Baltimore Ravens to release Ray Rice and the NFL to indefinitely suspend him. Clearly, more should have been done sooner. There must be zero tolerance for intimate partner abuse. We call upon the NFL to implement and strictly enforce a zero tolerance policy. We call upon the public to do their part. Don't just look away when someone you like or admire is abusive. Let's work together to hold businesses, celebrities, friends and family members accountable. We call upon you to support our work. We are part of The Allstate Foundation's Purple Purse Challenge raising funds and awareness about financial barriers to safety and independence. If you would like to help Hope's Door, please support our challenge.
Many question why Janay Rice, or any woman, would marry or stay with an abuser. We can't tell you why any one victim stays with a violent partner - there are as many reasons as there are victims. However, in our support groups, women tell us they stayed because they wanted: a father for their children, the relationship they had in the beginning, or to believe the one they love will never do it again. Others stayed or returned because they faced enormous financial barriers or the very real threat of escalating violence.
HISTORY: FROM THE NORTHERN WESTCHESTER SHELTER TO HOPE'S DOOR
In 1979, the Junior League of Northern Westchester, with support from the criminal justice and interfaith community, conducted a needs assessment and identified domestic violence as an issue of deep concern. In 1980, these visionary leaders founded the Northern Westchester Shelter, which later became Hope's Door.
In those early days, we operated a crisis hotline and support services out of the Peekskill YWCA while survivors found safety in the homes of families recruited through the interfaith community.
Within a few years, the emergency shelter program found a home in Pleasantville and program services expanded to meet the needs of survivors. In 1997, the organization purchased and renovated a 16-bed residence where survivors and their children continue to be sheltered to this day.
Over the next ten years, we continued to shelter survivors and to enhance services for them and their children. We also began to focus on the prevalence of teen dating abuse and to commit greater resources to ending the violence and breaking the intergenerational cycle of abuse.
In 2009, we clarified our purpose, revised our mission statement, and initiated a strategic planning process that compelled us to choose a new name to reflect the enhanced scope of our mission and the availability of our services to all of Westchester County. We became Hope's Door.
N
Submitted by New Milford, CT
Become a Local Voice in Your Community!
HamletHub invites you to contribute stories, events, and more to keep your neighbors informed and connected.
