National Domestic Violence Awareness Month is an annual designation observed in October. For many, home is a place of love, warmth, and comfort. It’s somewhere that you know you will be surrounded by care and support, and a nice little break from the busyness of the real world. But for millions of others, home is anything but a sanctuary. The U.S. Department of Justice estimates that 1.3 million women and 835,000 men are victims of physical violence by a partner every year.
Domestic Violence Awareness Month evolved from the “Day of Unity” held in October 1981 and conceived by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. The “Day of Unity” soon evolved into a week, and in October of 1987, the first National Domestic Violence Awareness Month was observed. In 1989 Congress passed Public Law 101-112, officially designating October of that year as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Such legislation has been passed each year since.
Doing Good In Haiti: Rapha International
Through their programs Rapha seeks to: Prevent the trafficking of children before it starts | Provide healing, hope, and freedom through quality care for children who have been rescued from trafficking | Train and Reintegrate children who come into our care | Educate, Engage, and Empower advocates to rise up and fight this injustice.
Rapha’s latest 2020 impact is the construction of a new safe house in Haiti for recovering women and children. Forefront provided professional architectural and structural engineering services for this project.
In 2003, Rapha International began an aftercare program for children who had been rescued from slavery and sexual exploitation. After more than a decade of growth, Rapha International is now an international aftercare program which has won the favor of the governments in the countries in which it works. It is an organization which practices excellence in the standards of caring for children who have been rescued from these traumatic situations. The Rapha International model is to find native people who are qualified and passionate about combating the issues of child slavery and sexual exploitation in their own countries, and equipping them to combat on behalf of these children.
Rapha is a Hebrew word which means “healing.” And healing is the heartbeat of Rapha International.
