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YWCA
OF EASTERN UNION COUNTY RECEIVES $45,000
BAXTER INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION GRANT
Agency Will Make Free Counseling and Support Groups More Accessible
to Domestic Violence Victims in Western Union County
ELIZABETH, N.J., December
13, 2002 - The Baxter International Foundation, the philanthropic arm
of Baxter International Inc., has awarded a two-year, $45,000 grant to
the YWCA of Eastern Union County (YWCA-EUC), the only agency in Union
County that offers comprehensive services to domestic violence victims.
The grant will enable the YWCA-EUC to expand its bilingual counseling
services and to establish a satellite office in the western portion of
the county.
In Union County,
domestic violence is the second most commonly reported crime. The 5,218
domestic violence crimes reported in 2000 accounted for 21 percent of
all reported criminal offenses. However, "those figures do not reveal
the full extent of the problem," said Andrea Spencer-Linzie, executive
director of the YWCA-EUC. "According to the FBI, domestic violence
is the most underreported crime in the United States."
Last year, the YWCA-EUC
served 3,500 individuals affected by domestic violence. Yet, the agency
could serve many more, particularly in the western portion of Union County
by expanding its services and reach. For example, currently there are
no organizations in Western Union County that offer counseling in Spanish
to battered women, and there are no support groups available in either
English or Spanish.
With The Baxter International
Foundation grant, YWCA-EUC will hire a full-time bilingual counselor to
do intakes, offer individual counseling and lead a Spanish-speaking support
group at the main office in Elizabeth. The new staff member will also
devote half her time to intakes, individual counseling and support groups
at a new satellite office in Western Union County.
"Many domestic
violence programs have found group work to be really important,"
said Spencer-Linzie. "Being in a group helps women break the pattern
of isolation that is very common in domestic violence situations."
"We are pleased
to support the YWCA of Eastern Union County's efforts to make domestic
violence services more accessible to women throughout Union County,"
said Patricia Morgan, executive director of The Baxter International Foundation.
"It takes a lot of courage for battered women to reach out for help.
By making free, bilingual counseling and support groups more widely available,
the YWCA-EUC will make that step easier for many women."
The YWCA of Eastern
Union County was established in 1920. The agency changed its focus and
opened the county's first shelter for battered women in 1978. It now offers
comprehensive domestic violence services including: a shelter, a 24-hour
hotline, individual, group and family counseling, therapeutic child care
and a therapeutic group for batterers. In 1991, the organization added
services for mothers and expectant mothers who are struggling to overcome
drug addiction. In collaboration with Trinitas Hospital, the program includes
emergency shelter, counseling, therapeutic child care, a
24-hour hotline and housing assistance. For information about volunteering
at the YWCA of Eastern Union County, call (908) 355-1500.
As the philanthropic
arm of Baxter International Inc., the Baxter International Foundation
helps to increase access to health care in the United States and other
countries. In 2001, foundation grants totaling $4.8 million improved access
to care for children, the uninsured and the elderly, helped prevent child
abuse and neglect, promoted health education, expanded education opportunities
for health-care providers, and helped victims of global disasters.
Baxter International
Inc. is a global medical products and services company that, through its
subsidiaries, provides critical therapies for people with life-threatening
conditions. Baxter employs more than 250 people in New Jersey at its facilities
in Bridgeport, Edison and New Providence.
FOR ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION:
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- Media Contacts:
- Tanya Tyska, Baxter, 847-948-3256
Andrea Spencer-Linzie, YWCA, 908-355-1500
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