Safe Havens Interfaith Partnership Against Domestic Violence/Third Sector New England

CONTACT:

101 Arch Street, 11th Floor
Boston, MA 02110
617-654-1821
interfaithpartners.org

Rev. Dr. Anne Marie Hunter, Executive Director

DESCRIPTION:

Domestic violence emerged as a field in organized philanthropy only in the mid-‘70’s, beginning with shelters for women and children in crises. Since then the scope and enormous complexity of the issue have come to light, compelling involvement by many professions—police, judges and lawyers; healthcare specialists in trauma, substance abuse, and mental illness; batterers’ intervention specialists; schools; child witness advocates; and others. Safe Havens engages clergy and other faith-community leaders—a constituency that attracts more first appeals by victims, perpetrators and witnesses than all other helping professions combined. SH was founded in 1991 by Rev. Dr. Anne Marie Hunter, who had learned that clergy generally were so unprepared to respond to the severity and danger of the problem, that often they counselled prayer as a solution, intervened in dangerous ways, or advised victims to keep the family together regardless of dangers. Yet clergy are close to the problems, well-positioned to provide prevention and earlier intervention, and highly organized for systematic access through congregations, seminaries and rabbinical schools, conferences, and professional publications, so that in the last two years alone, SH has worked with 1000 faith leaders from over 150 congregations in urban, suburban, and rural communities. Through a U.S. Department of Justice grant, their programs have been disseminated to 15 Family Justice Centers nationwide. Giving at the strategic level is excellent philanthropy.

(2008: HUMAN SERVICES: Girls & Women: Domestic Violence)