VIP in the Press

For inquiries or requests, please email Multimedia & Communications Strategist Chamela Martinez at chamelam@vipmujeres.org

Domestic violence groups, survivors say New York’s pandemic exacerbated abuse

The statewide shutdown order on March 22 effectively marooned survivors of continuing abuse amid an already deadly public health crisis. The groups that advocate for them have seen signs of escalating conditions as scores of people were forced out of work and into their homes, where several forms of violence, from the physical to psychological, have festered in mass isolation.
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Meet an NYC Organizer Searching Out Domestic Violence Victims During Quarantine

Each day, Karla Mejia hits the streets of New York City to help people. She is the community organizer for the Violence Intervention Program, a group that supports victims of domestic violence. Despite the pandemic, and the ensuing lockdown, her goal is to go out where people are gathered, at the overcrowded food banks, the bus stops, the ATM lines with one message: help is there, if you need it.
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Why Are There So Many Empty Beds in Domestic Violence Shelters?

Domestic violence experts around the country braced for an increase in abuse at the start of the coronavirus pandemic: The crisis had the disruptive markings of a natural disaster like Hurricane Katrina, when domestic violence reports nearly doubled, with economic effects similar to those of the Great Recession, when rates of intimate partner violence surged across the country.
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Why Telehealth Is a Complicated Option for Domestic Violence Survivors

Domestic violence counselors are facing a range of challenges in using telehealth services to stay in touch with survivors who may be stuck with their abusers during COVID-19 lockdown.
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Denim Day and SAAM Coalition Episode Featuring Safe Horizon, Day One and Violence Intervention Program

Jimmy Meagher Policy Director at Safe Horizon, Lisa Alexander Senior Staff Attorney with Day One and Lorraine Correa a Counselor Advocate for the Sexual Violence Project at the Violence Intervention Program in New York City speak with Breaking Distance about the work their around client services, community programs, sexual, domestic and intimate partner violence prevention and more.
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Why a Drop in Domestic Violence Reports Might not Be a Good Sign

As the coronavirus forces people to stay home, reports of domestic violence are falling in New York City, alarming the authorities.
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VIP Mujeres Domestic Violence Support Through COVID-19

OPEN BXRx host, Sonyi Lopez speaks to Karla Mejia, Violence Intervention Organizer at VIP Mujeres to discuss services available for domestic abuse survivors during COVID-19 and lockdown.
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Supporting Survivors during the COVID-19 Crisis

Many domestic and sexual assault survivors are trapped inside with their abusers since state-wide mandates to stay home. Bronxnet reporter Dorissa White speaks to representatives from Violence Intervention Program on what survivors can do at this time.
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Recomendaciones en caso de violencia doméstica

En estos días muchas personas han tenido que permanecer el mayor tiempo posible en sus hogares, sin embargo, esta situación puede poner en riesgo a muchas mujeres que sufren de violencia doméstica. Les presentamos una conversacion con Rosaana Conforme de la organizaición Violence Intervention Program, Inc (VIP) para que nos hable de qué pueden hacer quienes están viviendo una situación de violencia en sus hogares…
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Living at the Intersection of Domestic Violence and Immigration

It’s Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and The Takeaway is looking at the challenges unique to immigrant women facing gender-based violence in the United States.
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Brides on Broadway Annual march v. domestic violence

Marching and chanting, the women in white strode down Broadway, their veils and long trains trailing behind them. For the past 19 years, the annual Brides March is held on September 26 as participants mobilize against domestic and intimate partner violence.
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Denim, Deliberately Mezclilla, deliberada

A large crowd – clad in blue denim – gathered at Foley Square for New York City’s annual Denim Day rally to mark Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
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