Cellular service provider Verizon has given local victims of domestic violence a holiday gift that will help make the season more personal and special for their families.  Hopeline by Verizon recently gave The Center for Family Justice a grant of $1,000 to be used to help its clients purchase gift cards to defray the costs of their holiday shopping.

Funds for the grant come from the Hopeline by Verizon project, which collects discarded cellphones, batteries and mobile phone accessories. Hopeline by Verizon uses the proceeds from those environmentally-friendly collections to provide cellphones to domestic violence victims as well as provide direct grants to nonprofit shelters and organizations that serve domestic violence victims.

For several years now Hopeline by Verizon has been a benefactor of The Center, which serves victims of domestic violence in Bridgeport, Fairfield, Easton, Trumbull, Monroe and Stratford. This year’s grant will allow The Center’s staff to purchase and provide gift cards to local retailers directly to its clients; including those living in its domestic violence shelter and transitional housing program.

“It is a very special thing to be able to buy a gift for your child at the holidays that you’ve purchased and chosen yourself, but for some of our clients that’s just not possible,” explained Debra A. Greenwood, President/CEO of The Center for Family Justice. “This generous grant from Hopeline by Verizon allows our clients to make more personal and dignified choices about their holiday giving. We’re incredibly grateful to Verizon for their support during this special season and throughout the year. The corporate commitment to victims of domestic violence is exemplary.”

Throughout the season, The Center continues to appreciate the generosity of many community partners and supporters. Greenwood notes The Center especially appreciates donations of gift cards for clients as well as monetary donations which can be used to help transform victims of domestic and sexual violence into survivors.

 

ABOUT THE CENTER FOR FAMILY JUSTICE

The Center for Family Justice Inc. (formerly The Center for Women and Families of Eastern Fairfield County Inc.), brings all domestic, sexual and child abuse services – crisis intervention, police, prosecutors, civil/legal providers, counseling – under one roof, in our headquarters in Bridgeport, CT. Together, we work to break the cycle of violence by helping those in crisis restore their lives. Although our name has changed, we continue with the work we have provided for 12 decades, providing free, confidential, bilingual crisis services in Bridgeport, Easton, Fairfield, Monroe, Stratford and Trumbull. It is the comprehensive services our partners are providing that are streamlining the road to healing and self-sufficiency.

 

Within the past year, The Center answered more than 950 calls on a 24-hour crisis hotline; assisted with the civil and criminal court processes for more than 2,500 survivors of domestic violence; responded to more than 500 survivors of sexual assault and their families; provided a safe home for more than 100 women and children fleeing domestic abuse; coordinated the investigations of more than 170 cases of child sexual and severe physical abuse, developing service plans for the young survivors and their families; and provided psycho-educational support to more than 1,200 survivors of domestic violence, planning for their safety and promoting self-sufficiency.

 

As part of our mission, The Center educates approximately 4,000 members of the community about the issues of domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse to prevent future violence and spread the word that about the services we offer at The Center for Family Justice. Annually, we teach more than 2,000 children and teens about building healthy relationships, bullying prevention and dating violence.

 

For more information, visit www.CenterForFamilyJustice.org.