Title
Declaring October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month in the City of Philadelphia.
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WHEREAS, Domestic Violence Awareness Month is being sponsored locally by Women Against Abuse and, through their sponsorship, they are encouraging everyone to help to increase the awareness of domestic violence in our homes and communities and decrease its negative impact on Philadelphia; and
WHEREAS, Each year the Philadelphia Police Department responds to more than 100,000 domestic-related calls and domestic violence is not just a local problem but a national issue where every minute 24 people are victims of physical violence, rape or stalking by an intimate partner in the United States - more than 12 million people over the course of a year and resulting in the loss of life of more than three individuals each day; and
WHEREAS, Founded in 1976, the mission of Women Against Abuse is to provide quality and compassionate services, in a manner that fosters self-respect and independence in persons experiencing intimate partner violence and to lead the struggle to end domestic violence through advocacy and community education; and
WHEREAS, Women Against Abuse, in partnership with Congreso de Latinos Unidos, Lutheran Settlement House's Bilingual Domestic Violence Program and Women In Transition, the Philadelphia Domestic Violence Collaborative, provides a comprehensive continuum of services to survivors of domestic violence and their families in Philadelphia, which includes safe housing, legal aid, counseling, medical advocacy and behavioral health services; and
WHEREAS, The Philadelphia Domestic Violence Collaborative provides education and training to the community about domestic violence issues and resources and has partnered with the City of Philadelphia to operate the Philadelphia Domestic Violence Hotline and, in fiscal year 2021, more than 10,200 calls were answered through the Hotline; and
WHEREAS, To ensure a more holistic approach to addressing violence in ou...
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