Mayor Adams Visits VOA-Greater New York Program in Honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month

On October 20, staff and residents at one of our domestic violence programs were proud to be joined by Mayor Eric Adams and Commissioner Cecile Noel of the NYC Mayor's Office to End Domestic and Gender Based Violence. The purpose of the visit was to celebrate the resilience and the bright futures of the residents, who are so inspirational to all of us here at Volunteers of America-Greater New York.

The Mayor and his team stayed for about an hour, making remarks and staying behind for pictures and conversations with the team. We appreciate the City's support of our domestic violence programming around New York City as we work in true collaboration to end this crisis.

And it is a crisis. A number of studies showed stark increases in incidents of domestic violence during the COVID-19 pandemic, exacerbated by the stress and isolation that so many found themselves in. Even prior to the outbreak, domestic violence was statistically the top driver of homelessness in New York City, according to data by The Coalition for the Homeless.

As we turn the corner toward a new normal with respect to the pandemic, we cannot accept these realities. Funding, intensive case management with trauma-informed care, holistic solutions that focus on jobs and financial stability, and greatly expanded housing options for New Yorkers—all of these most be goals that we are collectively focused on.

We look forward to continuing to serve our brave survivors in partnership with the City.