Hi there,
In October, we honor domestic violence awareness month and celebrate accomplishments throughout our communities. In this newsletter we are proud to:
- Participate in the Bride’s March while honoring Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
- Heal through movement.
- Amplify survivors’ stories through our Voices of DVP project.
NMIC participates in the Brides’ March
Global incidences of domestic violence rose drastically due to COVID-related sheltering in place. The very act meant to keep us all safe endangered the lives of many living with their abusers. That’s why this year, despite the pandemic, we continued our commitment to support survivors and victims by collaborating with other community-based organizations and activists to plan and carry out the annual Brides’ March. The march took place on the 26th of September, and a satellite event was even held in Yonkers!
Established in 2001 to remember GladysRicart, a Dominican woman from Washington Heights, who was murdered by her abusive ex-boyfriend on her wedding day, the Brides’ March has provided the space for awareness and advocacy around domestic violence. Today, we mourn victims, celebrate survivors, and advocate for a violence-free world.
Our commitment to domestic violence work is yearlong. We are constantly in awe of our clients, like Ana*, who describes her life before NMIC as one marked by violence and fear, “fear that he won’t like the food you cooked, your clothes, that he’ll be angry you went to visit friends or family, that you went outside without him—and being hit for it.” Ana credits her new-found empowerment to the services she received through NMIC’s Domestic Violence Project. Now, she reports she is “VERY” happy with her new life. Read on to hear more of Ana’s testimony below.
You can support this incredibly important work by donating today.
*Name has been changed to protect client’s privacy. Donate now
Healing and empowering our community through movement
Dance, art, and bodywork are all tools one can use to heal from trauma.These efforts drove dancers and social entrepreneurs Vanessa Lopes and Destiny Moore to host their event Getting in Touch with 100% of proceeds benefiting our Domestic Violence Project. “I have a deeply personal connection to domestic violence. Witnessing my mother’s domestic violence and being abused myself as a child was debilitating. It was easy to choose NMIC as our beneficiary for this event. If we can help another womxn of color, like my mother, receive the help and/or resources she deserves, then our purpose is fulfilled.“
Both women boast impressive wellness and dance expertise they’ll be sharing at their virtual event, which includes a dance workshop and a discussion with a group of incredible panelists. According to Vanessa, the candid conversation around bodywork will feature “incredible businesswomen with their own passion projects and careers … these women truly DO IT ALL!”
You can learn more about and register for the event aquí.
Amplifying Survivors’ Stories
Our Domestic Violence Project has been hard at work collecting audio testimony from our clients who have experienced intimate partner violence. By amplifying our community members’ testimonies, we empower them to take control of the stories of their lives. We’re dreaming and fighting for a violence-free tomorrow, but today, we will continue to make space for survivors to tell their stories, be heard, and be believed in a safe, and culturally competent setting. Listen to Ana’s* Spanish-language testimony aquí, or read the English transcript below.
Getting ahead is living without the fear of being told that he doesn’t like your food [or] clothes, [that] you went out to visit your family, your friends, [or that] you went out on the street without [him], [and then] getting hit. Moving forward also means living on your own terms. It means knowing that, as women, we are worth a lot, and no one has the right to make us feel insignificant. It’s working and feeling self-sufficient and not having to depend on anyone.
When I was living in an abusive relationship, I would have wanted someone to tell me not to be afraid of leaving that person who abuses you. There are so many organizations and laws that defend abused women like you!
I regained the strong woman that I am now [because of] the help that NMIC offered me…that was the key to making the woman I am now. I feel so grateful to all of the NMIC workers, especially to Sarah Banda. Thank you very much for helping me out of the situation I was in. I am VERY happy with the life I have now, thank you and God.
Statistics show that deciding to leave an abuser puts a victim of domestic violence at increased risk of being murdered by their abuser. Obstacles like this keep people like Ana locked in untenable situations. Your donations help us provide our clients with safe exit strategies, counselling, and access to the services they need to get back on their feet.
*Name has been changed to protect client’s privacy.
Yours in Solidarity,
NMIC
Before you go, join us in celebrating Unidad Comunal’s 30th Anniversary
You can learn more about NMIC’s organizing work by clicking aquí.
