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 experiences 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 6^th, 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 rosannamontilla@nmic.org. 

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 20^th, 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 20^th, 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.

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 26^th 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 167^th 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

• For the approximately 476,000 undocumented immigrants living in NYC, multiple barriers are creating gaps in vaccination rates among undocumented immigrants. The lack of accommodation for undocumented immigrants in the U.S. health system furthers the narrative that undocumented immigrants are ineligible to receive a vaccination for free and will risk deportation. Marc Valinoti, coordinating immigration attorney of the Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation (NMIC) explains “if you are bringing someone into the country like a relative or spouse and legalizing them here, you would have to show that as the person who is here with status, you have the income and resources that at least for a several year period, the person you are bringing in would not become reliant on government resources. That they would not become a public charge.” Click here to read more.  

• The Nonprofit Power 100, a partnership between City & State and its sister publication, New York Nonprofit Media, identifies the sector’s most important and effective leaders. Among the individuals listed is NMIC’s Executive Director, Maria Lizardo, LMSW. Click here to read more.  
   

Observances  

• Domestic Violence Awareness Month 
• Domestic Violence Week of Action, October 17-23 
• Indigenous People’s Day, October 10 
• International day of the Girl Child, October 11 
• National Coming Out Day, October 11  
• World Mental Health Day, October 10 
• Purple Thursday, October 20 
• National Immigrants Day, October 28 
• Weatherization Day, October 30 
• Halloween, October 31 

As August rolls by and September looms, many members of our community and their loved ones are preparing for a new school year. There is something about a new school year that screams hope and possibility, and we are excited to share a few stories about learners of all ages. There is no single journey to learning, as we all absorb knowledge differently, and we all face unique challenges and learning curves. The stories we have to offer this month are examples of these distinct learning experiences. 

Learning to Give Back

We are excited to announce that NMIC is launching a back-to-school supply drive for families impacted by domestic violence. Frequently, survivors of domestic violence flee abusive relationships with their children with little or nothing but the clothes on their backs. NMIC’s Domestic Violence Project aims to support survivors of intimate partner violence, and we hope that our back-to-school supply drive will provide a sense of normalcy and help their children succeed in school.  

Our back-to-school supply drive is being driven by NMIC’s Advisory Board, a group of committed volunteers with roots in the neighborhood. They will come together to set up a free store at our office so that families can take the supplies they need for the upcoming school year.  

Supplies can be purchased from our Amazon wish list, dropped off at 45 Wadsworth Avenue, New York, NY 10033 Monday-Thursday from 8 AM– 7 PM and Friday from 8 AM– 2 PM, or you can make a monetary donation on our website.  

We are accepting donations through August 19^th, 2022.  

Learning as a First Generation College Student

Graduating as a first-generation college student is a particularly important achievement. Despite the excitement of being an academic trailblazer, the dream of graduating as a first-generation student is often beset by various challenges. Students enter their schools with limited knowledge about how higher education works and can sometimes feel isolated because of the elitism of many colleges and universities. To successfully graduate despite these hurdles and challenges is an awe-inspiring triumph. NMIC’s Operations Assistant, Joanel Sassone, recently graduated from City College as a first-generation college student.  

“Since an early age, I have felt that I was given the mission to change the direction of my family. For this reason, I chose to pursue higher education. I perceive college as a tool of social mobility and a portal of opportunities. As a first-generation college student one of my biggest challenges was overcoming the imposter syndrome. I did not feel worthy of being present in a college setting because I could not articulate myself as well as the other students nor was, I equipped with their advanced vocabulary. I also had to devote time to work to contribute to my family financially. When I graduated, I felt like I broke through a barrier. Despite the emotional and mental toll of navigating a new experience, I became the first person in my family to obtain a bachelor’s degree,” Joanel Sassone said.  

Sassone, in light of his recent accomplishment, also gave us a word of advice to those who are interested in becoming the first in their families to graduate from university, “To young adults interested in pursuing higher education, especially from low-income communities, I would say, never underestimate your potential no matter where you come from.”  

To those interested in pursuing Education & Career Services at NMIC, please click here. NMIC’s Education & Career Services combine real-world skills with high-quality classes.  

 Congratulations Joanel!  

Learning Through Your Journey   

When Victor* came to NMIC in his early 70s, he aspired to find peace, stability, and security in his life, but he had a tough journey ahead of him. He was ready to leave the abusive relationship that he was in, but he did not have secure housing and had several health problems. As an undocumented person, Victor did not qualify for public benefits, which made it difficult to find security in his health and wellbeing.  

He has done a lot to improve his life. He received counseling to cope with the trauma he endured, he filed for a U-Visa petition, received a work permit and a social security card, explored his housing options as an undocumented senior citizen, and more. Victor had to go above and beyond to find his peace, stability, and security, and it took over a decade. Once he was linked to health insurance benefits, he became an empowered advocate for his health and a model patient. In between couch surfing in exchange for light construction work and attending senior centers for most of his meals, he never gave up hope of having a place to call home. 

It took over a decade, but Victor is finally in stable health and has a new apartment to call his home. With time, healing, and access to resources and consistent support, Victor has become more resilient despite the many stressors in his life and has finally found security and stability in his housing and his health. Last March, Victor turned 82 years old and celebrated with NMIC staff at his new apartment. NMIC recognizes that healing is not linear, and community members need sustained connection and support to overcome entrenched barriers and injustices. 

Click here to learn more about NMIC’s Holistic Services.

*Client’s name has been changed.

Learning through Nontraditional Pathways

We are frequently spoon-fed the linear vision of college and higher education in general, but this is not the reality for many members of our community. 40% of college students are 25 years old or older—well out of high school—and many have children of their own, full-time jobs, or both. Adults who wish to pursue higher education frequently are on their own in trying to figure out how to get back to college because there really is not a formal system in place to help them make decisions. The Education & Career Services we offer aim to support students of all ages and learning levels to build the knowledge and skills they need to transition into college, advanced training, or careers. 

Salomon, a former student from NMIC’s General Education Diploma program (GRE), has proven that academic successes occur at all stages of life. As a previous star student in our adult education programming, NMIC honored his hard work at our 2019 benefit. We are now delighted to announce that he is on his way to pursuing higher education at Bronx Community College.  

Salomon, we wish you great success at Bronx Community College and in all your future endeavors. You have an entire team of people rooting for your success.  

Click here to learn more about NMIC’s Education & Career Services.  

NMIC in the News  

• The New York State Bar Association recently launched a task force to examine historically unequal treatment of the citizens of the U.S. Territories. Among members of the task force is NMIC’s Rodrigo Sanchez-Camus, Director of Legal, Organizing, & Advocacy Services. Click here to read more.  

• Manhattan Times News recently featured NMIC in an article that highlighted our current back-to-school supplies drive to aid families impacted by domestic violence. “The purpose of this campaign is to alleviate a little bit of the emotional and financial stress many of our families are facing,” Rosanna Montilla-Payano, Director of Development. Click here to read more.  

Observances  

• August 3^rd, Black Women’s Equal Pay Day 

• August 12^th, International Youth Day 

• August 17^th, National Nonprofit Day 

• August 19^th, World Humanitarian Day