During a North Hempstead Town Hall reception on Oct. 1, town officials announced a partnership with The Safe Center LI, and proclaimed October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month within the town.
The Safe Center LI works on behalf of not only victims of domestic violence but also for child and adult victims of sexual assault and severe physical abuse, said Kaitlyn Pickford, assistant director of education.
“Our mission is to break down the barriers to getting help,” Pickford told attendees to the reception, including the town board. “The hope is to raise awareness in North Hempstead so that we will be seen as a local resource. We all have to work together for the victims of abuse.”
Educating town residents on the danger and prevalence of domestic violence is an ongoing effort in the town. “In the past we have involved high school students in discussions and met with residents and community leaders,” said Director of the Office of Intermunicipal Coordination Ellen Birnbaum.
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 LI hotline, (516) 542-0404, operates 24 hours per day and seven days per week for domestic violence victims. It received approximately 6,500 calls in 2012 from victims of domestic abuse, officials said.
Among other services such as counseling, The Safe Center LI 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 North Hempstead’s “Yes We Can” Community Center on Garden Street in Westbury, and at North Hempstead’s Town Hall in Manhasset.
The Safe Center LI has been formed as a result of the ongoing merger of the two non-profits, the Nassau County Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the Coalition Against Child Abuse and Neglect.
