FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Donna Giberti,
Director of Development and Marketing
Independence House, Inc.
508-771-6507 x221, Fax 508-778-0143 donnag@indhouse.net
Robert Kraft and New England Patriots Recognize Independence House with $100,000 to help Domestic Violence Survivors and their children
Hyannis, MA, October 8, 2015 — Independence House, Inc., Cape Cod’s leading resource, counseling, and advocacy center to address and prevent domestic and sexual violence has been awarded a $100,000 grant by Robert Kraft and the New England Patriots. A formal announcement was made at the Independence House 15th Annual Domestic Violence Awareness Month Community Breakfast on Thursday morning, October 8th in Hyannis.
A personal phone call from the Patriots owner, Robert Kraft to Independence House Executive Director Lysetta Hurge‐Putnam weeks ago confirmed the award stating accolades for the work Independence House does “under the radar” for domestic violence survivors in the Cape Cod Community.
“We saw it fitting to hold and share the news first with the Cape Cod community during Domestic Violence Awareness Month”, notes Lysetta. “The people most affected by this award are members of our own community on Cape Cod who are transitioning from a life of abuse to a violence‐free home for themselves and their children. “
As part of a multi‐faceted initiative from Robert Kraft and the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation focusing on
domestic violence, the award given to Independence House will increase the services of the Independence House Housing Stabilization Program, providing more transitional housing assistance to survivors of domestic violence and their children.
Independence House was named as one of five organizations throughout New England to receive such an award.
Separately, the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation and Robert Kraft have additionally joined forces with Attorney General Maura Healy to support domestic and sexual violence prevention and advocacy programs in Massachusetts, awarding $500,000 to provide training to 90 public high schools across the state with the nationally recognized Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) Program, founded at Northeastern University by Jackson Katz. Independence House has an established history of facilitating the MVP program to numerous high schools across Cape Cod including Barnstable High, Falmouth High, Dennis‐Yarmouth Regional High, Lower Cape Regional Technical High, and is currently in conversation with 4 other high schools to bring the MVP Program to their students.
With the additional announcement at the community breakfast of the Independence House newly expanded Prevention Division, the agency’s goal is to facilitate the MVP program in every upper level school on Cape Cod.
The mission of Independence House is to help all domestic violence and sexual assault victims, survivors and their children by creating opportunities to find safety and become empowered through crisis intervention, advocacy, counseling, referral, outreach, prevention, education and inspiring change in our community.
# # #
