National Network to End Domestic Violence Statement on Murder of Tyre Nichols
At Prudence Crandall Center, we stand in solidarity with the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) in the statement and social media post made by their President & CEO, Deborah J. Vagins regarding the brutal beating of Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man killed by Memphis police officers earlier this month.
While we truly value and appreciate the partnerships we have with our local police departments, we recognize the need for change within many of our systems.
We would like to highlight and affirm Ms. Vagins’ statement that, “Despite widespread protests and calls for police reform… our country’s system of law enforcement continues to terrorize Black Communities and other Communities of Color. Our work to end domestic violence cannot be separated from police violence and other state-sanctioned violence.” We also recognize the need to follow NNEDV’s lead in “striving to follow the lead of Black advocates and Black-led organizations within and beyond our movement”.
We are committed to racial and social justice and are grateful to learn from others in this movement – a movement to end violence and restore hope.
We urge you to read NNEDV’s full statement here.
Read More
Prudence Crandall Center Celebrates the Impact of Local Leaders
New Britain, CT – With tremendous admiration and appreciation, Prudence Crandall Center (PCC) announces the retirement of Board of Directors member Mary Healey, JD after 18 years of dedicated service to the organization. Healey joined the Board in 2003 and helped lead the agency during a period of expansion and transformative change. Drawing on her commitment to the local community and her extensive professional experience, including 10 years as the Consumer Counsel for the State of CT, Healey consistently delivered intellect, passion, and expertise to the PCC Board.
Taking the helm after the late Tony Garro, Healey dedicated her time and talent as the PCC Board President from 2009-2012. As Board President, Healey set PCC on a path of growth and development, helping to open PCC’s ground-breaking supportive housing programs, which offers victims and their families a safe, stable, and affordable home after seeking shelter. Reflecting on her time on the Board, Healey commented, “My service at PCC has been personally meaningful to me and my family. I’ve been honored to be part of an agency that continues to be a leader in a critically important field where it truly saves and transforms lives.”
Among her many talents, Healey was an incredible relationship builder and fundraiser for PCC. Healey helped shepherd PCC’s successful Bright Futures capital campaign in honor of the agency’s 40th anniversary. A tireless advocate for PCC, Healey forged incredible connections within the local community and built a dedicated base of supporters for the agency. Looking towards the future, Healey expressed her unwavering commitment to the cause and the organization. “I know my family and I will continue to be part of the PCC family, supporting its work. I encourage others to do so as well because this agency has had a tremendous impact over the past 50 years, but there is still much work to be done.”
Current PCC Board President Michelle Rosa remarked, “Never one to shy away from the tough questions, Mary encouraged fellow Board members to lead with their heart and make a positive impact. Mary will truly be missed on the Board, but we appreciate her continued support as a PCC advocate in our community.”
During PCC’s most recent Annual Meeting, Board member and Bristol resident Dave Rackliffe (retired Chief Information Officer for Bristol Hospital) was elected Board Treasurer. Rackliffe brings a wealth of experience to the position and looks forward to leading continued financial growth for the organization. PCC thanks Lucia Chubet (Partner, Mugford & DiBella, LLC) for her dedication and leadership as outgoing Board Treasurer and is grateful for her continued commitment as a Board member engaging our Southington community. Joining the Board this year are three new Board members who bring additional critical talent and expertise to the agency’s Board – Brandy Little (Travelers), Brenda Moore (Bristol Housing Authority), and Mary Smith-Floyd (City of New Britain Community Services).
PCC President & CEO, Barbara Damon, commented, “I am incredibly grateful to Mary and the rest of our Board for their leadership and commitment over the past two years, which were particularly challenging for our community and our agency. Their diversity of skills and experiences, coupled with a passion for our mission, made the impossible possible during the pandemic and enables us to move forward.”
For more information, contact Sarah Hawkes at 860-259-3824 or shawkes@prudencecrandall.org
********************
Prudence Crandall Center was the first domestic violence program in our state and is the only program serving the communities of Bristol, Berlin, Burlington, Kensington, New Britain, Plainville, Plymouth, Southington and Terryville, with 28 units of supportive housing program open to survivors from throughout the state. Services include a 24-hour crisis hotline, emergency shelter, transitional and permanent supportive housing, court advocacy, counseling, and community education and prevention services. For additional information about Prudence Crandall Center or to donate, please visit www.prudencecrandall.org. To access the 24-hour hotline, call toll-free 888-774-2900. All services are free and confidential.
###
CT must do more to help children facing trauma at home
As the COVID-19 pandemic has stretched on longer than any of us originally anticipated, the secondary effects of this global crisis continue to play out in communities and homes around the world, and here in Connecticut.
Much attention has rightfully been paid to the impact of the pandemic on various social and economic fronts including mental health, the education achievement gap, workforce problems and more. However, there is another widespread and dire area of concern that has gotten less attention. A shadow pandemic which plays out within our broader public health crisis that is having a particular impact on Connecticut children: domestic violence.
In the early waves of the pandemic, the very measures put in place to combat the virus were also fueling a “nightmare for victims of domestic violence.” As families were asked to isolate at home, victims of domestic violence were given more exposure to domestic abusers. Early estimates and studies showed more than an 8 percent increase in domestic violence incidents in the United States, as well as a dramatic surge in gun sales. And as the pandemic has dragged on, external factors such as income loss have made domestic situations more volatile, compounding the problem.
The impact is especially acute for children. For one, remote learning meant more time at home, often with adult family members either working from home or experiencing unemployment. Beyond that, the pandemic has caused fewer children to interact with a variety of systems intended to offer safety and support. When children are not in school, it prevents the ability of teachers and other professionals to notice irregularities in behavior that could be attributable to experiencing or witnessing abuse at home; in fact, the Connecticut Department of Children and Families has reported substantially fewer referrals from educators over the past year. Many social services that help children have also been moved to virtual rather than in-person contact, limiting access to some children who otherwise may have had access to those services.
Unfortunately, here in Connecticut there is currently zero state funding for the social service workers whose primary job function is helping children impacted by domestic violence: Connecticut’s child and family advocates. These advocates work at our state’s 18 domestic violence organizations, and utilize a number of trauma-informed, evidence-based and resiliency-driven approaches to their work. They support both children and nonoffending parents with critical services including counseling, coordinating basic needs, school or child care enrollment, scheduling transportation, and advocating for the child and nonoffending parent/survivor within the courts and our child welfare system.
Currently, federal pass-through funds pay for only about a quarter of the cost of a full-time advocate at each domestic violence organization, or $11,500 per position. This results in local providers having to either raise funds privately to fully fund a position or have a staff member split their time across various functions, leaving less time for these child-focused purposes. Looking at the number of cases these advocates handle in Connecticut makes the problem starkly clear: over a five-year period from 2017 to 2021, there was an average of 4,313 children served annually by advocates. However, given that each member receives funding for a maximum of 26 percent of their time, that means that federal funding is only supporting advocates for 2.26 hours of service to each child, per year.
Thankfully, state leaders are recognizing that this isn’t a sustainable situation for Connecticut, or its children. Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz recently made a strong and clear call for state action to fund these positions, and to do it this year. Along with the lieutenant governor and key partners in the General Assembly, the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence will seek a total of $1,440,000 in new state funding to cover the cost of 18 full-time child and family advocates. This number is less than .01 percent of Connecticut’s state budget, but it would be a lifeline to thousands of children who experience or witness violence in their homes, including those who have experienced increased exposure during the pandemic.
Providing evidence- and strengths-based resiliency services for children is paramount to the overall safety and stability of Connecticut families, but currently there is simply not a sustainable way to meet those needs. Connecticut can and should do more — it should start with fully funding child and family advocates.
Meghan Scanlon is the president and CEO of the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
Barnes Memorial Trust Awards Grants In Southington
SOUTHINGTON, CT — The Main Street Community Foundation recently awarded a total of $474,258 in grants from the Bradley Henry Barnes & Leila Upson Barnes Memorial Trust to 13 nonprofit organizations “working to support the health and well-being of Southington residents.”
The grants awarded are:
- The Arc of Southington – $5,900 – Repair and rebuild the handicap accessible ramp and landing at the entrance to the main office building
- Bread For Life – $78,000 – Meal program for Southington’s food-insecure population, including support for rising food-related costs
- Early Childhood Collaborative of Southington – $27,500 – Health, safety and well-being educational programs for young children and their caregivers.
- Friends of Southington Community Services – $30,000 – Food, fuel assistance and other basic needs for low-income residents
- LiveWell Alliance, Inc. – $55,000 – “Empowering Partnership Network” as well as the development of programs for people living with dementia through the Center for Resilient Living
- Prudence Crandall Center Inc. – $45,000 – COVID-19 recovery relief and services for Southington victims of domestic violence and their children
- Southington-Cheshire Community YMCAs – $100,000 – COVID-19 recovery relief support of programs and operations
- Southington-Cheshire Community YMCAs – $31,434 – Community collaboration with the YMCA, Southington Public Schools and Southington Police Department to purchase and install “Stop the Bleed” kits in public locations
- Southington Community Cultural Arts – $50,000 –All Access program for adults with disabilities and those living with dementia
- Southington Education Foundation – $15,000 – Materials, supplies and licenses to enhance the “RULER” initiative for social/emotional learning in the Southington public schools
- Southington Manna Fund, Inc. – $5,000 – Emergency housing for temporarily displaced Southington residents
- United Way of Southington – $28,424 –Senior Transportation Services program, which offers free rides to Southington seniors to medical appointments, pharmacy, banks and care facilities
An additional $3,000 was provided to long-term care facilities – LiveWell Alliance and Southington Care Center – for patient assistance funds for financially disadvantaged residents.
Connecticut police see an increase in domestic violencecalls during coronavirus stay-at-home orders
‘Stay Safe, Stay Home’ has little meaning to victims of domestic violence, but there is help in area for those in need
Author: Erica Drzewiecki; New Britain Herald
Published: April 22, 2020
When home is where the hurt is, ‘Stay Safe, Stay Home’ has little meaning.
Luckily, for victims of domestic violence, there are still open shelters and resources available, even during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We continue to be on the front lines as our service is open and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” said Barbara Damon, executive director of the Prudence Crandall Center.
The organization provides emergency shelter, transitional and supportive housing to victims of domestic violence hailing from New Britain and Bristol, and towns in between, including Southington, Plainville, Berlin and even as far as Plymouth.
Staff has remained on-site in Prudence Crandall’s emergency shelter and others working remotely continue to provide counseling over the phone, by video chat and email.
“We’re finding that the greatest increase in need right now has been for help with basic food and supplies and funding to meet monthly expenses,” Damon pointed out. “So many of our folks we serve have either lost a job or lost their childcare and are really struggling right now.”
Families living in Prudence Crandall’s shelter have separate bedrooms and can safely distance themselves. Other survivors have remained in housing at undisclosed locations and some are staying in hotels for the time being.
“This is a time filled with anxiety and stress for all of us, but particularly those experiencing the trauma of abuse,” Damon pointed out. “There is a lot of need for emotional support and counseling at this time.”
Prudence Crandall’s most pressing need right now is financial.
The organization’s annual fundraising dinner was postponed along with all other large group gatherings and events. Unforeseen expenses due to the novel coronavirus have also posed a challenge.
“Every year we rely on the community to fund about 30 percent of our operating budget,” Damon explained. “We need to raise $650,000 to meet our current needs. We need the community now more than ever.”
The center has received donations of face masks and meal deliveries. Monetary donations are strongly encouraged at prudencecrandall.org.
Other agencies that help victims include the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence (CCADV). CEO Karen Jarmoc was one of several panelists to speak during a virtual conference this week.
When the pandemic began in early March, Jarmoc said, domestic violence shelters were already at 130 percent capacity across Connecticut.
The CCADV runs CTSafeConnect.org, an online resource where victims of violence can seek help. It’s being utilized even more now that victims are forced to be at home, Jarmoc said.
A bright spot in this pandemic: for people who need to file a restraining order, it is now possible online.
Thanks to an April 3 ruling by the Honorary Michael Albis, the state’s chief administrative judge of family matters, restraining orders can be filed remotely at https://jud.ct.gov/remote_restrain.htm.
In this time of crisis, advocates are still available to help 24/7 at CTSafeConnect. All services are confidential, safe, free and voluntary. Call 888-774-2900.
Erica Drzewiecki can be reached at edrzewiecki@centralctcommunications.com.
“Challenge” to Raise Funds to Sustain Life-Saving Services
Earlier this year, the government shutdown impacted vital funding to Prudence Crandall Center, high-lighting the importance of private donations to sustain the agency’s vital services for victims of domestic violence. One local couple has decided to challenge others to join them in making that happen.
The Bright Futures Giving Society is currently comprised of 28 community members who pledge $1,000 a year or more (through monthly, quarterly or annual gifts) over five years, providing a vital foundation of annual support that is used to bridge funding gaps in services agency-wide.
This year’s Celebrating Hope breakfast will be held Friday, May 31st, at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Bristol. The event’s Presenting Sponsor is once again the Petit Family Foundation, which has generously sponsored the agency’s signature fund-raising events for over a decade. For information about sponsorships or the Leflers’ Leadership Challenge, please contact Carolyn Jasper, Development Director, at (860)259-3817 or cjasper@prudencecrandall.org.
To contribute, please click below:
6th Annual Festival of Women’s Voices
The West Hartford Women’s Chorale will sponsor their annual Festival of Women’s Voices on March 30th at 4:30 PM in the Auditorium of Conard High School, West Hartford. This special concert features special guest composer Kathleen Allen, Glastonbury High School Treble Choir, Voce di Coeli Hall High School, Another Octave: Connecticut Women’s Chorus, and West Hartford Women’s Chorale.
This is the sixth “Festival of Women’s Voices” hosted by the West Hartford Women’s Chorale. The festival involves student and adult choirs performing various pieces of music including those of a female composer, who is invited to conduct a workshop with each group prior to the performance.
The proceeds from each Festival Concert are earmarked for an organization that helps women and girls in the Hartford area. This year the recipient will be the Prudence Crandall Center, which has been providing comprehensive services for victims of domestic violence since 1973.
In January 2004, 14 women, who shared a love of music, were inspired to form a women’s chorale in West Hartford, to enrich the local community’s cultural life. Fifteen years later the West Hartford Women’s Chorale is now a group of almost 100 women from all over the Greater Hartford area conducted by Dr. Ethan Nash and accompanied by Barbara Robbins.
From its inception, the Chorale has focused on enriching its members and the surrounding communities through the enjoyment of music. All women who love to sing are encouraged to join the chorale, without requiring previous musical experience. At the same time, this non-audition group performs a variety of challenging classical, jazz, and popular musical pieces, providing a supportive, learning environment for both the chorale’s members and its audiences at several community events, as well as its own stand-alone concerts.
The Chorale also supports musical education in the community by providing an annual scholarship to a graduating senior from the area’s Public Schools. It has provided young artists performance opportunities, as well as raising funds for charitable organizations.
For more information visit www.WHWChorale.org
Read More
Mary Kay Foundation
Thank you to The Mary Kay Foundation for our $20,000 grant! These funds will help us continue to maintain critical services and programs for domestic violence survivors in Connecticut!
The Mary Kay Foundation was created in 1996 and its two-fold mission includes funding women’s cancer research and ending domestic violence. Over the course of more than two decades, The Mary Kay Foundation has awarded more than $78 million to women’s shelters and domestic violence service providers, as well as cancer research programs and related causes throughout the United States. To learn more about The Mary Kay Foundation and its mission, visit marykayfoundation.org or call 1-877-MKCARES (652-2737).
Read More
FILL THE VAN
For the third year in a row, Papa’s Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM is having a ‘Fill the Van’ donation drive to support Prudence Crandall Center! The outpouring of support from their staff and customers has been amazing, resulting in the delivery of a van-load (or two!) for our families just in time for the holidays.
The donations, gifts and household essentials that are collected help our families get established as they begin new lives, free from violence. Many of the essentials are also used to welcome victims and families into our emergency shelter every year. Too often, individuals and families fleeing an abusive home leave most of their belongings behind. And for low-income families facing a time of crisis, the holidays can be particularly stressful. These donations let them know that the community supports them, and they are not alone, as they make that brave first step towards a safe and brighter future.
The donation drive will run until December 17.
Make sure to follow us on Facebook to see the big delivery arrive on December 18th!
Read More