Councilman David G. Greenfield is proud to announce that as a result of his advocacy during this year’s budget negotiations, every single district in New York City will receive funding through the City Council’s Domestic Violence Empowerment Initiative (DoVE). In years past only certain districts received this important funding, which excluded most of Brooklyn’s frum community.

During the course of this year’s negotiations for the Fiscal Year 2014 budget approved in June, Councilman Greenfield pushed in his roles as co-chair of the Council’s Brooklyn Delegation and a member of the Budget Negotiating Team to have funding for this critical program distributed across the city out of recognition that domestic violence is an issue afflicting every New York City neighborhood.

As a result, a qualified social service organization in each district will receive $20,000 in this year’s budget to provide DoVE services to local residents in communities they serve. According to the NYPD, there were 30,428 reported domestic violence victims in 2012, an increase of about 1,500 from 2011. In addition, statewide data shows that there were 6,152 violations of protection orders in New York City in 2012, which was also up slightly from the prior year.

“Domestic violence is a problem that affects women, children and families in every community across our city. Unfortunately, many neighborhoods have not received the funding and resources needed to help victims of domestic violence move forward and rebuild their lives. That’s why I worked so hard during budget negotiations to secure funding to support the Domestic Violence Initiative in every single community in New York City including the frum community.”

Greenfield has allocated the funding for his 44th District, which includes Boro Park, Midwood and parts of Bensonhurst, to Shalom Task Force, which has been assisting domestic violence victims in the frum community since 1992. Shalom Task Force will use this funding to support its confidential domestic abuse hotline, which is the backbone of its response to victims of domestic abuse. The hotline receives approximately one thousand calls each year, primarily from Orthodox Jewish victims in New York City. It features trained advocates who provide victims and their families with crisis intervention, peer counseling, safety planning and referrals to critical services.

Shalom Task Force also offers violence prevention education to young men and women enrolled in yeshiva high schools and seminaries and offers legal aid to victims of domestic abuse. In addition, its acclaimed marriage program for couples provides relationship education to engaged and married couples to help further its goal of providing young men and women of the community with the tools to develop peaceful and harmonious relationships and marriages.

“Thanks so very much to Councilman Greenfield for providing Shalom Task Force with the opportunity to continue to service our community in a most uncomfortable area, domestic abuse. Councilman Greenfield’s efforts and warm support on behalf of Shalom Task Force is a clear indication of his interest and deep concern for the well-being of the Jewish families in the community,” said Shalom Task Force Founder and President Nechama Wolfson.

The Shalom Task Force’s confidential hotline, which does not track callers’ phone numbers, can be reached at (888) 883-2323 or (718) 337-3700.

(YWN Desk – NYC)