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In 2017 and 2023, Denise Kuriger Design completed sponsored renovations of the childcare centers at two of Safe Horizon’s eight domestic violence shelters. Will you please help create new safe spaces for families at another Safe Horizon domestic violence shelter?
Margaret Ann Duffy, lovingly known as Peggy, was one of the warmest and most joyful people anyone could know; the song “When Irish Eyes are Smiling” epitomizes Peggy’s loving spirit.
A devoted mother of two, she was the beloved sister of Maureen Duffy Tan and a friend of Denise Kuriger. In March of 2012, Peggy was tragically shot and killed in her kitchen by her ex-husband while her son was in the next room. She continues to be deeply loved and greatly missed.
To honor Peggy’s life and spirit, Denise Kuriger and Maureen Duffy Tan are collaborating with Springpoint Group and Taconic Builders to fundraise for the renovation of other Safe Horizon childcare centers. Once completed, children and families will have bright, cheerful spaces to enjoy during their respective healing journeys.
Our new partners, Jonathan Parisen, Springpoint Group, and Taconic Builders, are experts at building high-end residential and commercial real estate. Although much of the labor will be donated, we will need to raise funds to renovate the childcare areas, meeting rooms, exterior play space, and common area for events. Will you help us create joyful spaces for children and parents as they escape violence?
I first came to Safe Horizon during the early stages of the pandemic. It was a turning point in my life.
My son, Chosen, was just 11 months old and I was doing everything I could to stay healthy and strong for him, when the world outside felt incredibly unsafe.
My ex-partner, who had a history of violence toward me, was harassing me relentlessly. He psychologically abused me – even when he was incarcerated, he admitted he used to have my house watched. He always found ways to keep me in constant fear.
Then I found out he was getting out of prison. This wasn’t just a piece of bad news; it was a real threat to my life. Knowing what he was capable of, remembering the terror of his hands around my neck, I feared for my safety and my son’s life. I knew I had to leave.
Panicked, I called Safe Horizon. But as soon as I spoke to an advocate, I began to calm down. A weight I had been carrying started to lift.
The very next day, a friend picked Chosen and me up, and we went to Lang House, a Safe Horizon domestic violence shelter.
Celines holds her sketchbook which she carried with her while seeking safety in shelter.
When I arrived at the domestic violence shelter with my son, a few belongings, and my sketchbook, we were treated with care and instantly felt safe. The space was clean and so comforting. They provided us with food and essentials. For the first time in years, I felt free.
Our neighborhood was filled with art galleries, and as I walked past them, I saw art hanging in those spaces – I knew that was where I wanted to be someday. One day, the shelter held a group art therapy workshop.
When I grabbed my sketchbook during those panicked moments before leaving my home, it was with the hope that I might find enough peace to pursue my art—a passion that had felt impossible before. From the moment I joined the support group at the shelter, I started to come back to life.
The shelter helped me move into my own apartment with Chosen and I was able to start rebuilding my life.
Soon after, Safe Horizon reached out to me to share my experience as part of The Things We Carry campaign. They wanted to feature my artwork. I was so excited.
Celines’ art is featured in The Things We Carry photography gallery and tells her story to attendees.
Last October, as I stepped out of the cab, the first thing I saw was a picture of my artwork hanging in The Things We Carry gallery. The gallery was part of Safe Horizon’s campaign, which visually explores the emotional journeys survivors like me carry with us as we start healing.
It was a dream come true. Art, for me, is more than just seeing it on display—it’s been a way to reconnect with myself, express my emotions, and begin healing.
Safe Horizon gave me the gift of healing, and it’s what I carry with me now. Today, I’m studying art therapy because I want to give others what Safe Horizon gave me: the chance to heal, the opportunity to reconnect with my passion, and the possibility of a healthy life for my son and me.
To learn more about The Things We Carry campaign, click here.
Thank you for being part of this journey.
– Celines
Safe Horizon CEO, Liz Roberts, speaks to ABC News following the indictment of Sean “Diddy” Combs about how to best support survivors of human trafficking and abuse.
Liz Roberts interviewed on ABC about how supporting survivors
On Monday September 2, 2024, Safe Horizon Board Member Joann Lang passed away. She joined the Board in 1997 and was one of our longest standing members with nearly three decades of dedication to Safe Horizon. Her influence will be felt for generations to come.
You can read Joann’s obituary here.
Joann’s first became part of the Safe Horizon community in 1993. She and her late husband Todd helped Safe Horizon purchase a building that would later become Lang House, an emergency shelter for families fleeing domestic violence. Lang House was our first fully owned and operated domestic violence shelter.
Joann’s incredible spirit is woven into the very fabric of Lang House. Each year, she returned to celebrate the holidays with the residents and staff, infusing the space with her generosity and heart. The sense of community and intimacy that permeates Lang House is a direct reflection of Joann’s presence, her tender care, and her unwavering commitment to creating a safe haven for those in need.
Joann’s passion for helping domestic violence survivors also led to the transformative study in 2018 that inspired the concept of Open Shelter. The Lang Report is a major innovation in the domestic violence movement.
This longitudinal needs assessment addresses how Safe Horizon—and other service providers—can better support emergency domestic violence shelter residents both during and after their stay in shelter. You can read the Lang Report here.
We first honored Joann in 2007, to commemorate 10 years of Lang House serving survivors. We presented her with an award in recognition of her commitment to victims of family violence.
Safe Horizon Board Member and Honoree Joann Lang with CEO Liz Roberts
Joan was awarded the Lifetime of Service Award at our 2021 Champion Celebration to recognize her 30-year commitment to helping survivors. At the event, we also premiered the video above which showed how Joann and Lang House touched the lives of so many staff and clients.
Joann was a tireless and generous fundraiser for Safe Horizon. In her passing, she expressed that in lieu of flowers, donations could be made to Safe Horizon. If you wish to donate in Joann’s honor, you can do so here.
Mark was chronically homeless as a teen and found himself navigating systems made for homeless adults. He moved from shelter to shelter until he found Safe Horizon’s Streetwork Project, a program uniquely designed for young people experiencing homelessness. Chris, the Daily Services Coordinator at Streetwork’s Uptown Drop-In Center, and other Streetwork staff made an indelible impact on Mark’s life.
It was Chris’ first day working at the Drop-In Center when he met Mark. Chris provided daily essentials for Mark like food, laundry services, and connection to other resources. The two quickly developed a close rapport.
Mark and Chris bonded when they met at Safe Horizon Streetwork Project for homeless youth.
Community is the cornerstone of Streetwork Project. They host many groups where youth experiencing homelessness can engage with each other and heal. Chris and the Director of Streetwork Project, Sebastien Vante, invited Mark to be part of their men’s group. “The men’s group opened me up to talking and just trying to understand people and their perspectives,” Mark explains. Chris and Sebastien offered Mark increasing leadership responsibilities, which helped him get more opportunities to grow.
After completing one internship, Streetwork staff wrote him a recommendation letter that played a pivotal role in shaping Mark’s future. The letter detailed that Mark made a positive impact on the other homeless young people in the groups well as the Streetwork staff themselves. This showed Mark just how much of a difference he made and gave him a new sense of confidence and ambition.
Sebastien Vante, Director of the Safe Horizon’s Uptown Streetwork Drop-In, played a pivotal role in shaping Mark’s future.
Inspired and hopeful, Mark worked with Chris, Sebastien, and the Streetwork team to find stability. Mark moved into an apartment in upstate New York where he now works in food service management. He is planning to go back to school for a Human Services degree so he can make an impact on others’ lives the same way Chris and the Streetwork team did for him.
New York Daily News
By Eboni K. Williams
August 16, 2022
Excerpt:
I love New York City. Truly. Since I relocated here eight years ago, the city has embraced me and I’ve embraced it, planting roots here as a homeowner. New York City is my home. For all its challenges, one of my favorite things about the city is its subway system: the convenience it offers, its legacy and connection to the city’s culture, and the way it brings us all together.
But recently, that changed for me.
One Saturday afternoon, I was approaching the No. 1 train when as soon as the train car doors opened, I noticed a man staring at me, and then following me along the platform. I moved further away, disengaging for my own safety. Despite his intimidating stare, I broke eye contact and tried to fade into the crowd. His gaze persisted and after chasing me for a while, he assaulted me from behind, hitting my buttock and knocking me to the platform.
I was shocked. In a city where I have generally felt safe, I am now another statistic of subway violence. A few bystanders moved to help me up, then went on with their journeys. My assailant ran off. Two MTA workers were nearby and witnessed the incident but took no action. As I collected myself, I was even more shocked, and upset, that I had been left there, feeling helpless and alone.
As a woman, I’m familiar with feeling unsafe. Most of us feel vulnerable from the minute we leave our homes, commute to work, run errands or do other countless simple acts that should not involve fear or feeling frightened and unsafe. Especially those of us who don’t get to live in white skin.
As a Black woman, I’m painfully familiar with my struggles being ignored and erased. But I was still hurt and frustrated that not one person moved to offer aid before or during my attack.
That’s not okay. I don’t want anyone else to experience the feelings I felt on that platform.
And we need to make sure that those experiencing violence have a place to turn to get the support they need. Safe Horizon, the nation’s largest victim’s services agency is a fantastic place to start. Our advocates are available and ready to listen 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. In these downright dangerous times, organizations like Safe Horizon are more important than ever, and need all our support.
I know together we can make sure New York stays the greatest city in the world.
Read the original article here.
Williams is an attorney and cast member on “The Real Housewives of New York City.” She is a member of the board of directors of Safe Horizon, the nation’s largest victim services agency.
Many generous supporters of Safe Horizon are able to make their donations go further through matching donations made by their employer. If you made a recent donation to Safe Horizon please help us make the donation go further by checking if you are eligible to have your donation matched.
June 2021
At Safe Horizon we see and help many fathers affected by abuse across our programs. In our journey to becoming an inclusive respite for all survivors of violence, it is critical that we include fathers’ survivor stories in the narrative around abuse and violence. Here we share stories of three fathers who experienced domestic violence, homelessness, and other abuse.
New Yorker and expectant father Mark has been coming to Safe Horizon’s Streetwork Project for several years. He became homeless while living with his mother and as a young adult he has been couchsurfing with various friends, partners, and family members. People experiencing homelessness are often looked down upon – and homeless fathers even more so. At Safe Horizon honor each person’s journey, and provide non-judgmental support for all survivors.
The Streetwork Project staff do all they can to provide homeless parents with the tools needed to meet their children’s needs. This includes helping them obtain necessary baby items like diapers, stroller, or clothes, and holding support groups for parents.
At Streetwork Project and Safe Horizon, we will continue to support all survivors regardless of how the world treats them. To all the homeless fathers like Mark: we see your strengths, recognize your struggle, and are here to support you as you continue on your journey from crisis to confidence.
The numbers are stark. Statistics tell us that 1 in 7 men will experience domestic violence during their lifetime. Men, especially Black men and men of color, face more barriers to seeking help and being open about their experience because society projects harmful stereotypes and shame onto them. Survivors like *Tyrone are speaking out and showing that fathers can also be harmed by domestic violence – and can thrive in parenthood despite it. Watch Tyrone speak about fatherhood, being a male victim of domestic violence, and how he overcame it all with the help of Safe Horizon’s Domestic Violence Shelters – because he needed to find safety for his daughter.
Lucas is a Christian pastor and a devoted father. He fled Nigeria with his family and sought refuge in the United States to escape violence; they faced brutal persecution by Boko Haram, a violent terrorist organization based in northeastern Nigeria. If they returned to their native country, their lives would be in serious jeopardy. Staying in the U.S. truly was a matter of life and death.
Lucas and his family came to Safe Horizon’s Immigration Law Project (ILP) for legal assistance. ILP staff advocate on behalf of immigrant survivors of crime, torture, or abuse and their families. Specialized attorneys help them obtain and maintain lawful status in this country. ILP staff helped Lucas, his wife, and his children apply for asylum. They spent years waiting for their day in court. It finally came in March 2020. On the day New York City was ordered to PAUSE as a result of the global pandemic, ILP nonetheless appeared in immigration court on behalf of Lucas and his family. And on that day, as a result of ILP’s advocacy, Lucas and his family were granted asylum. Lucas is very happy to have found ILP who helped him secure a safe place for him to be a father.
April 2, 2021
By Evangeline Chan and Queenie Ng
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, racism and violence against the Asian, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community has increased. Racism manifests in different ways and our communities have experienced everything from physical attacks, verbal harassment, and violence leading to death, as seen in the fatal shootings at Atlanta-based massage parlors in March 2021.
At Safe Horizon, we believe racism is violence. We stand with the AAPI communities who have experienced the trauma of racism long before the pandemic and even more so now. We also call for advocates and allies to come together and support our fellow community members.
If you find yourself asking how you can help, show up and be an ally to the AAPI community, here are six ways to do so:
As the nation’s leading victim assistance organization, we provide support, prevent violence, and promote justice for all victims of crime and abuse, including victims of hate crimes. To learn more about how Safe Horizon helps hate crime victims click here. You can also call our 24-hour hotline at 1-800-621-HOPE (4673) or visit our emergency help page.
Solidarity is about doing this work together. Only together can we begin to combat racism and hate.
March 2021
Investigative filmmakers and past Safe Horizon Champion Award Honorees Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering and Amy Herdy recently released Allen v. Farrow on HBO; a documentary about the startling childhood sexual abuse allegations against Woody Allen. The four-part documentary series “examines the effects of trauma on a family, and features prominent cultural voices exploring Allen’s body of work in a broader context and reflecting on how public revelations about the personal lives of artists can lead to re-evaluations of their work.”
While documentaries such as Allen v. Farrow empower survivors to tell their stories, their content can also trigger survivors of similar abuse. In this post, we share Safe Horizon resources, and articles you can use to read about abuse.
The latest update on all our services is available at our emergency page, here. If you are out of New York State, RAINN operates a 24/7 hotline, 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) and chat service.
In addition to the services Safe Horizon offers, here are some resources you can use and share while watching Allen v. Farrow, or anytime:
