Unity House’s Domestic Violence Services Program to kick off Awareness Month with free block party
October is Domestic Violence awareness month. Among other outreach events, the Unity House Domestic Violence Services program will host a Community Block Party. This free event will take place from 11:00 am – 3:00 pm on Saturday, October 5th on Union Street in Troy, NY. Union Street is adjacent to the Unity House DV Services office at 504 Broadway in downtown Troy.
The Block Party gives people a chance to be educated about domestic violence and how it intersects with different aspects of our community. Community members will be able to collect resources to offer to victims or utilize themselves. The event, in a fun environment, will create an opportunity to display services and showcase relationships in the community between victims, community members and our collaborative partners. Unity House’s Domestic Violence Services program has community partners that span across the Capital Region, all of whom seek to better serve victims of domestic violence collaboratively. Our community partners are made up of both larger organizations and smaller programs. We have relationships with police, the court system, the District Attorneys office, the probation department, and others. These are partnerships that one might expect to see, but there are also relationships that are unconventional and unique that are instrumental in addressing the issue of domestic violence.
“Raising Awareness and showing to victims that they are not isolated and alone and that they have the support of the community, is key in encouraging victims to seek help.” -Unity House’s Sarah McGaughnea of the USDVS program
This year the Domestic Violence Services Program is honoring Cynthia Urbach, Executive Director of Families In Need of Assistance, Inc. with the Outstanding Volunteer Award. The Boys and Girls Club of the Capital Area will be honored with the Outstanding Community Partner Award, which will be accept by Patrick Doyle, Chief Executive Officer of Boys and Girls Club in Troy, NY. The Domestic Violence Awareness Block Party will begin at 11:00 am. The speaking portion of our program will be presented at a podium at 1:00 pm. Unity House’s Tabitha Dunn, Service Director of the Domestic Violence Services program, will welcome guests and present our honorees with awards for their service. The block party will feature resource tables, food vendors, and activities. The event ends at 3:00 pm.
About our Honorees
Cynthia Urbach, Families in Need of Assistance: Cynthia Urbach is a champion of survivors of domestic violence. As someone who understands the needs of survivors and the challenges of establishing safety, Ms. Urbach’s advocacy and action have been key in not only helping people directly, but in creating greater awareness among institutional partners about the issue of DV and how to best meet the needs of survivors. In establishing Families in Need of Assistance (FINA), where she serves as Executive Director, she helped develop the first Zero Tolerance Policy for Domestic Violence in the Albany Police Department and created domestic violence training for judges in the NY State Office of Court Administration. The work of FINA often provides services that are not available elsewhere. In this way, FINA plays a vital role in addressing unique needs. Unity House is proud to honor Cynthia Urbach with the 2019 Outstanding Volunteer Award for service, advocacy, and action.
Boys & Girls Club of the Capital Area
The Boys & Girls Club located in Troy is a key community collaborator with Unity House and others. The club provides services and programs to help young people make positive life choices and has worked closely with Unity House’s Domestic Violence Services program to teach youth about healthy relationships, where to get help, and steps we can all take to work toward a culture without abuse. The club’s focus on empowering youth to develop self-confidence and self-esteem has tremendous impact. In addition to their work on the issue of Teen DV, the Club, along with their Albany counterpart, is at the heart of many community partnerships that benefit children. Unity House is proud to honor the Boys & Girls Club of the Capital Area with the Outstanding Community Partner award. Accepting the award on behalf of the group is Mr. Patrick Doyle, COO of the Boys and Girls Club of the Capital Area.
Help is always available for victims of domestic and dating abuse. Contact our 24 hour hotline: (518) 272-2370