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Declaring October as “Domestic Violence Awareness Month.”
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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, 1 in 3 teens in the U.S. is a victim of physical, sexual, emotional or verbal abuse from a dating partner, so Women Against Abuse has developed a teen dating violence prevention program called SAFER® (Safety Awareness For Every Relationship) in order to address the prevalence of teen dating violence in all communities and support local schools who are leading the way in preparing their students to pursue healthy relationships; 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 2018, more than 11,700 calls were answered through the Hotline; and
WHEREAS, To ensure a more holistic approach to addressing violence in our community, Women Against Abuse and its sister agencies are partnering with the City Administration’s Office of Domestic Violence Strategies, and over 70 different community stakeholders to implement Shared Safety: Philadelphia’s Response to Relational Violence, a citywide plan to respond to domestic violence in Philadelphia; and
WHEREAS, To support a coordinated community response to domestic violence, the Philadelphia Domestic Violence Collaborative Organizations will hold events throughout the month of October to promote awareness about domestic violence and to build community support so that all Philadelphians will take a stand against violence; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Declares and recognizes October as “Domestic Violence Awareness Month.”
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to representatives of Women Against Abuse as a sincere expression of City Council’s gratitude, appreciation, and commendation for raising the public’s awareness regarding domestic violence.
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