Brooklyn Cares BROOKLYN-USA.ORG
Borough welcomes two new domestic violence
shelters to help Brooklynites survive and thrive
Two new shelters recently opened
in Kings County, providing safe
spaces for domestic violence survivors
from across the borough. Borough
President Adams, a leader in the
fi ght against domestic violence, has
amplifi ed several initiatives aimed at
supporting families affected by such
abuse.
“There are fundamental steps we
can and must take to protect survivors
and safeguard the public,” Borough
President Adams said.
The two new shelters are prime examples
of just that. The facilities cater
to specifi c survivors, including Muslim
women and children, and women
who want to fl ee bad situations but do
not want to leave their pets behind.
Read on for more about Brooklyn’s latest
safe refuges:
ASIYAH WOMEN’S CENTER
The city’s fi rst shelter catering specifi
cally to Muslim women and children
experiencing domestic violence
opened in Southern Brooklyn in August.
The shelter’s director — a Muslim
woman herself — said the Asiyah
Women’s Center aims to raise awareness
about the problem of domestic violence
within the Muslim community
and support its women in a safe space
as they look to rebuild their lives.
“We have a problem in the Muslim
community with domestic violence —
it’s a silent crisis that no one really
wants to tackle,” said Dania Darwish.
“It just makes it easier for a Muslim
woman that’s trying to transition out
of her home and seek support to know
that we have the cultural competency
and understanding to help them.”
The Asiyah Women’s Center —
the location of which is not public for
safety reasons — has 20 beds in six
bedrooms, along with a fully stocked
kitchen and living room.
An all-female staff and about a
dozen volunteers run the shelter,
which also welcomes Muslim women
facing eviction and homelessness, Darwish
said. The director added that the
staff connect survivors with a range
of resources, including medical and
legal services, job opportunities, and
English language courses. And the
staffers are sensitive to the women’s
religious requirements, serving halal
food and taking care of children during
prayer times, Darwish said.
The center is meant to be a temporary
way station, offering women and
their families shelter for seven days,
but the safe haven can make exceptions,
allowing women to stay for longer
on a case-by-case basis, according
ONE BROOKLYN | W 8 INTER 2018–2019
to Darwish.
Borough President Adams is among
those leading the charge in increasing
awareness about domestic violence
in Kings County, creating a series
of “Surviving and Thriving” events
geared toward domestic violence survivors.
The events, including resource
and personal safety workshops, guest
speakers, mini makeovers, and activities
for children, have been staged at
Brooklyn Borough Hall since 2014 as
part of the initiative.
“Our survivors must be empowered
to be strivers, striving to thrive
in society while bringing hope to so
many,” Adams said. “I deeply appreciate
the strength of the women and men
who are stepping out of their personal
darkness and living the fullness of
their lives. Nothing should be allowed
to muffl e or silence their voices.”
The Asiyah Women’s Center has already
helped more than 30 people in
the months that the shelter has been
open, connecting women with longterm
housing and jobs, Darwish said.
One woman staying at the center
said the staffers’ awareness of the intricacies
of Islam and Arab culture
help make it feel like a home.
“They understand the traditional
culture and religious importance,” the
survivor said. “It feels like home here,
actually — not a shelter.”
PALS PLACE
There’s a new safe haven for two-
and four-legged abuse survivors in
Brooklyn.
The nation’s largest domestic abuse
shelter built to accommodate humans
and their pets will open in December,
sparing women and families the grief
of having to choose between a roof
over their head, or keeping a beloved
companion at their side, according to
an abuse survivor.
“When you’re fl eeing domestic violence,
there are all these stigmas that
go along with it, but to know this is designed
with pets in mind, for a person
specifi cally like you, it automatically
relaxes you a bit,” said Hope, who fl ed
a hostile household with her two kids
and dog Coco in 2016.
The seven-story Pals Place shelter
— the location of which is withheld for
the safety of its residents — is operated
by social services provider the Urban
Resource Institute.
It features ground-fl oor security, a
30-plus-person staff, and a total of 30
fully furnished, one- and two-bedroom
units for individuals and families, all
of which come stocked with pet care
essentials including kennels, toys, water
bowls, collars, leashes, litter, and
food, as well as a backyard dog run and
an on-site grooming space, according
to Hope.
“Everything is shaped around
pets,” she said.
More than 70 percent of domestic
abuse survivors claim their fourlegged
friends are threatened, beaten,
or killed by their abuser.
But only three percent of shelters
allow pets, and many women choose
to stay in abusive relationships rather
than abandon their animal companions,
according to the Urban Resource
Institute.
In addition to the pet-oriented amenities,
the Pals shelter will provide
other services such as communal barbecues
and trips to local animal rescues
to its occupants, the fi rst of which
are expected to arrive later this year.
In 2016, Borough President Adams
made a series of policy proposals in
conjunction with his “Surviving and
Thriving” initiative to empower abuse
survivors, and that list can be found at
brooklyn-usa.org.
As a member of the NYC Domestic
Violence Task Force, Adams has also
collaborated on efforts that include
getting the city to spend $3.9 million
on domestic violence reduction and
prevention in October 2017, bringing
lessons on healthy relationships to
128 middle schools, creating a comprehensive
web-based portal and public
awareness campaign to inform locals,
and providing additional resources to
help survivors stay in their homes.
Anyone looking to leave an abusive
household should text the Domestic
Abuse Hotline at (800) 621–HOPE to be
connected to a trained counselor.
Domestic abuse survivor Hope and pooch Coco at the new Pals
Place shelter in Brooklyn. Photo by Colin Mixson