In The Valley, Press Release

Celebrating Voices of Resiliency Throughout the Month of October


 

Nationally, October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Turning Point is hosting a number of different events throughout October to help raise awareness around the topic of domestic abuse. During the entire month of October, Turning Point will dedicate their focus to empower, educate, and engage the community to learn more about domestic and intimate partner abuse, highlight their life-saving services, and ways to help. According to their Executive Director, Lori Sywensky, “There has been an unprecedented demand in an unparalleled environment for the need for our services. In a time where we have struggled to keep our operations normal during the pandemic, we have seen a humongous increase in our services from last year to this year. Since last year, we have seen an increase in all of our services and the number of people that we have helped with our services has jumped from 2,600 to 3,500.”

 

They have seen an enormous surge in the need for all of their services during the pandemic. In 2019, there were 112 domestic violence homicide deaths in the state of Pennsylvania. “We remember the four lives lost in the Lehigh Valley in 2019 – Nestor Luis Ortiz-DeLeon and Yosandra Andralyn-Munoz Corporan of Lehigh County and Maryanne Looby and Penny VanTassel of Northampton County,” as stated by Andrea Search, Community Outreach Director.

 

Turning Point of Lehigh Valley’s Annual Domestic and Intimate Partner Abuse Vigil will be held virtually this year. For over 20 years, Turning Point has hosted a vigil in October to celebrate the strength and courage of survivors of domestic and intimate partner abuse.

 

This year’s virtual vigil entitled, Voices of Resiliency, will be prerecorded and is scheduled for release on October 22 on Turning Point’s Website, Facebook page, and YouTube channel. The video features testimonials from survivors of domestic and intimate partner abuse, spotlights the life-saving services offered by Turning Point, the names will be read for the ones who have lost their lives in Lehigh and Northampton Counties in 2019, and ends with a moment of silence to honor the lives lost to domestic abuse over the past year.

 

Beginning on October 1, Turning Point is launching its new pledge campaign #MyTurningPointLV. Partnering with Missy Hartney from the Southside Arts District in Bethlehem, a different Southside business will promote the pledge every Friday for the month of October. The merchant able to fundraise the most will be name the “Turning Point Champion.”

Every Tuesday for the month of October, Turning Point will offer a variety of workshops that cover a range of topics related to domestic and intimate partner abuse.

All of the links to the events below can be found at http://bit.ly/TPLVDVAM and on our Facebook page @turningpointlv.

Events calendar for DVAM 2020

  • October 2, 9, 16, 23, 30: Southside #MyTurningPointLV challenge
  • October 6, 13, 20, 27: Domestic and Intimate Partner Abuse Workshops 12-1:00 p.m.*
  • October 9: Women’s Self Defense Donation Class by Action Karate of Bethlehem*
  • October 11: Meet the Author: Patricia Schoch*
  • October 15: Wear Purple for Purple Thursday
  • October 22: Virtual Vigil Released on Turning Point’s YouTube and Facebook *

(*Zoom events)

 

To request interviews or for more information on how you can get involved, please contact:

Andrea Search, Community Outreach Director, andreas@turningpointlv.org, 610-797-0530, extension 229

 

Our Mission is to eliminate domestic and intimate partner abuse in the Lehigh Valley through empowerment, education, and engagement.

 

Information provided to TVL by:
Andrea Search
Community Outreach Director
Turning Point of Lehigh Valley
https://www.turningpointlv.org/