SAFE HAVENS

“We are looking for congregations that are interested in multi-religious efforts to expand awareness and education on domestic violence and elder abuse.”

“Elder abuse occurs when an older adult is willfully neglected or abused. Elder abuse may be physical, sexual, emotional, verbal, spiritual, or financial. People who abuse older adults include family members, intimate partners, caretakers (paid or volunteer), friends, neighbors, bankers, lawyers, a person in a position of authority, or a person with whom there is an expectation of trust. Most abusers are intimate partners and family members, and most abuse happens in the home. The victims are primarily women, but may also be men. Elder abuse affects people of all faiths”

“We dream of and work toward a world in which faith leaders respond compassionately and effectively to survivors of domestic violence and elder abuse. Together, we can build communities where all people are safe with faith.”

" …we know that many people turn to trusted faith leaders in a moment of crisis. These faith leaders can play a critical role in helping survivors of abuse reach professional services safely. The problem is that many faith leaders lack training or resources to do so. Our hope is that by building bridges between service providers and faith communities, we can establish more trusting relationships between these two groups, and ultimately, serve victims better and save more lives.”
-interfaithpartners.org