[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 136 (Friday, October 2, 1998)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E1879] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] IN COMMEMORATION OF THE 20 YEARS OF SERVICE OF ``A SAFE PLACE'' ______ HON. BARBARA LEE of california in the house of representatives Friday, October 2, 1998 Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to share with you the exemplary work of a community service organization that addressed the need for a battered woman's program in the East Bay. ``A Safe Place'' was founded by four women who began providing crisis counseling, referral, and information services from an office in the Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Oakland. Under the leadership of the Executive Director, Ms. Carolyn Russell, the agency has grown with expanded programs and services. A Safe Place continues to be the only shelter exclusively for women and children who are homeless due to domestic violence. A Safe Place exists to provide battered women and their children with transitional and supportive services to enable them to break the cycle of violence and regain a sense of self-esteem and personal power. A Safe Place is a comprehensive and holistic approach to service the needs of battered women and children under the Domestic Violence Assistance program. This program consists of Emergency Shelter, Community Counseling, Community Education and Outreach. A Safe Place provides urgent safe shelter with counseling and support services; a community counseling and support group, and education on domestic violence. A special therapeutic service is directed to children who have witnessed domestic violence. The most recent program, and one of its greatest accomplishments, is a partnership with the Oakland Police Department in its implementation of a Domestic Violence Unit located in the police department with family violence coordinators. Recognizing that domestic violence is a health issue and battered women are seen by medical providers, A Safe Place has developed partnerships with local hospitals to develop a Domestic Violence Medical Response Project, where staff can respond to battered women who are seen in local emergency rooms and clinics. Domestic violence in teen relationships has increased. ``Young People Taking Action'' is a comprehensive teen violence prevention educational program, providing education on teen relationship violence, resources and alternatives for battered teens and criteria for establishing healthy relationships. This program is successfully implemented in the Oakland Unified School District. A Safe Place has developed partnerships and joined forces with local agencies including law enforcement, the criminal justice system, medical community, social service agencies and with families and friends of battered women. The goal is to decrease domestic violence in our community to make it a safe place for our children to have a quality of life without fear and violence. In 1996, California law enforcement agencies fielded nearly 228,000 domestic violence related calls. National crime surveys show that domestic violence directly affects our communities and families. A Safe Place provides a refuge and an important bridge for victims of domestic abuse to move to a position where they are better able to protect themselves. Part of this process draws in members of the larger community in forums to learn more about this epidemic. On October 23, 1998, A Safe Place will celebrate its 20th year of providing quality services to families in the East Bay in conjunction with Domestic Violence Awareness Month. I would like to extend my congratulations to A Safe Place for 20 years of community service and to the five women being honored for their longstanding work: Liz Hendrickson, Kim Kline, Cheri Pies, Nancy Brester, and civil rights attorney, Eva Jefferson-Paterson, for her legal work on behalf of A Safe Place with the Oakland Police Department. Together with A Safe Place and other partners to decrease domestic violence, I am proud to join with A Safe Place and other partners to decrease domestic violence by encouraging the continuation of similar programs of community service to improve the quality of life of all our citizens. ____________________