October Notes from NMIC
Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation (NMIC)
Building secure and prosperous futures, together.
In October, during Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM), we are uplifting and centering victims, survivors, those impacted by domestic violence, our community, and the partnerships that support our work.???
Visibility matters now more than ever as one in four women experience physical violence in their lifetimes. Wear purple and make yourself a visible advocate for healthy relationships, as it will go a long way to help break the stigma of silence. Will you stand in solidarity on October 20 by wearing purple and using #NMICGoesPurple on social media to raise awareness about domestic violence and share information about trauma-informed resources? We will share the posts on our social media accounts to increase the reach of our services—because they are only helpful if survivors know they exist and how to access them.??
If you or someone you know is in an abusive relationship, please call NMIC's Domestic Violence Project at 212-822-8311 or the 24-hour NYC Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-621-4673.?
NMIC’s Domestic Violence Project & Der Parataetische Akademie’s Site Visit?
In 1996, NMIC recognized the connection between domestic violence and housing insecurities. We founded our Domestic Violence Project (DVP) to build a network of support for survivors during each stage of their exit from their relationship, to develop a safety plan, and to help survivors find stable housing afterward. According to the National Network to End Domestic Violence, 63% of unhoused women are survivors of domestic violence. NMIC's trauma informed counseling, legal services, crisis intervention, support groups, and many other programs give survivors the strength to move on and let them know that there are people waiting to help them every step of the way.??
On October 6th, students from Berlin’s Der Parataetische Akademie came to tour NMIC’s DVP office to learn more about our work. Our DVP staff members, Sarah Crawford Banda, Cinthya Mendez, and Aleida Sainz, led the tour group and shared NMIC’s work in the community and how we serve immigrant survivors of intimate partner violence. We were able to share our approach, values, and interventions to help survivors salir adelante after domestic violence.???
NMIC’s DVP is particularly special because we are both trauma informed and culturally and linguistically affirming—culture impacts how gender violence is viewed, and awareness of cultural values and difference is of utmost importance when we think of the systems that interact with survivors of domestic violence. The staff of our Domestic Violence Project are bilingual in English and Spanish with deep cultural and geographic ties to our community.??
"It was our honor and pleasure to welcome fellow social workers to Washington Heights and Inwood. Our shared efforts to further social and economic justice in our respective communities' face some of the same systematic barriers including xenophobia, racism and misogyny. We also face the challenges posed by a lack of dedicated resources. As the global community becomes more interconnected, we are delighted to have had the opportunity to spend time with colleagues in the field of social welfare,” Sarah Crawford Banda, Domestic Violence Project Director.??
Click here?to donate to support survivors.??
Empire Quilters?
Imagine yourself being wrapped in a literal blanket made with love. It sounds delightful! We are honored to share that Empire Quilters of New York, a nonprofit organization that has donated quilts for the past few years to NMIC, provided that and more to our clients. Empire Quilters were founded in 1982 to preserve and promote the tradition, culture, and history of quilt-making, and to foster good fellowship amongst anyone interested in quilt making in the New York area. Quilts represent connection, stability, and expression of the creative spirit that has allowed women to overcome hardships, and on behalf of our community members, we are very grateful for this powerful gesture.??
If you have an idea and would like to partner with us, email?[email protected].?
Go Purple Day 2022
Purple is the symbolic color to raise awareness about domestic violence. Why purple? Well, the color purple became associated the strength of women in the United States because it was the color worn by the National Women’s Party who fought to gain the right to vote. Flashing forward to 1978, nearly 10,000 advocates for women’s equal rights marched in DC dressed in purple. By 1987, the first Domestic Violence Month was observed, and again, wearing purple was embraced by all those who observed.??
For 2022’s Go Purple Day on October 20th, we encourage you all to wear purple and to post photos on your social media using the hashtag, #NMICGoesPurple. It is an opportunity to raise awareness about domestic violence and a simple way to show your commitment to promoting healthy and safe relationships. Join us on the 20th, wear purple, be an advocate, and start a conversation about domestic violence and healthy relationships!?
Click here?to learn more about NMIC’s Holistic Services.
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Thank you, Valley National Bank!?
We would like to thank Valley National Bank for their support of NMIC’s Domestic Violence Project. Last September, NMIC held a back-to-school supplies drive for families impacted by domestic violence, and Valley National supported our efforts by providing us with dedicated volunteers. Through support like theirs, we were able to serve over 100 children.??
We are excited to announce our continued partnership with Valley National Bank. Through their recent investment, NMIC plans to enhance our Education & Career Services by expanding the curriculum of our career training programs and adapting them to the needs of our students.??
“Education and workforce development are foundational cornerstones that allow individuals to grow and thrive in this economy. That’s why Valley is proud to support NMIC in its efforts to support these initiatives and to serve as catalyst for positive change in our community,” Jason Cahn, Sr. CSR-CRA Officer of Valley National Bank.??
Because of thoughtful partners like Valley, we can meet our communities with responsive services.??
Click here?to learn more about NMIC’s Career & Education Services.??
Cafecito con Maria?
For this newsletter’s Cafecito con Maria, we have particularly delightful news to reveal—Maria was named in City & State New York’s list of, “The 2022 Nonprofit Power 100!” The Nonprofit Power 100 is a list of the top public officials, philanthropic leaders, and nonprofit executives leading the sector in New York. We are pleased to hear the great news and congratulate Maria on her well-deserved success.??
Maria began working for NMIC in 1998 as the Director of Social Services and held several roles at our organization before becoming our Executive Director in 2014. She is a long-term passionate advocate for women’s rights and is one of the co-founders of the Brides’ March, who for the last 23 years, have marched to raise awareness about domestic violence.??
This past Brides March was held on September 26th where survivors, organizers, public officials, and advocates distributed bilingual information about domestic violence and resources for support along their marching path as they inspired New Yorkers across Uptown and the Bronx to begin a dialogue about domestic violence.??
We hope that Maria has a comfortable pair of sneakers because she also marched at The Washington Heights & Inwood Coalition against Interpersonal and Domestic Violence and Long Live Our Butterfly’s “Shine the Light” event on October 1. The event was a joint march against domestic violence and ceremony for the street co-naming on West 167th Street in honor of Ramona Elizabeth Rodriguez.??
We commend Maria’s nonstop leadership; however, advocacy work requires an entire community to make a substantial difference. To end the cycle of violence against women, we need to address patriarchal attitudes and practices that encourage domination and violence, we must ensure that women’s rights are part of our education system, we must provide social support to survivors of domestic violence, and we must raise community awareness of how to respond to acts of violence and to support survivors. We must work together and fight against the cycle until domestic violence comes to an end.??
Click here?to read City & State New York’s 2022 Nonprofit Power 100 List.??
NMIC in the News:??
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