Sojourner Family Peace Center and Milwaukee Police Department to Announce New Comfort Bag Project to Benefit Children Impacted by Domestic Violence

Milwaukee (July 2015) –Sojourner Family Peace Center (Sojourner) and Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) will announce a new project and community event to help families on Friday, July 17 at 10:00 a.m. at the Milwaukee Safety Academy, 6680 North Teutonia Avenue. The press conference will feature Milwaukee Police Department Assistant Chief James Harpole and Sojourner Family Peace Center Associate Director Mark Thomas speaking about the Comfort Bags project and a Community Resource Fair and Food Drive.

3.2 million children in America witness domestic violence each year. Sojourner and the Milwaukee Police Department have created comfort bags that will be distributed by officers onsite when responding to domestic violence related calls. On Saturday, July 18 volunteers will put together 500 comfort bags for children in Milwaukee. Officers will make an immediate, positive impact on children who have just witnessed a traumatic incident, and will provide them with needed comfort during stressful situations. The bags will include an assortment of items, including personal care items and an age appropriate safety-plan booklet which can be crucial when children are experiencing violence in their homes.

The Community Resource Fair and Food Drive which will be held on Saturday, July 18 from 11:00am to 3:00pm at the Milwaukee Safety Academy, 6680 North Teutonia Avenue, will connect local organizations and agencies specializing in a variety of issues including health care, employment, housing, food access and more to individuals and families in the Greater Milwaukee community seeking information and assistance. Nonperishable food items will be also be collected at the fair to benefit the women and children taking respite at Sojourner’s emergency domestic violence shelter, Sojourner Truth House.

Participating organizations at the Community Resource Fair and Food Drive include Guardians of the Children, Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare, Department of Neighborhood Services, Havenwoods Economic Development Corporation, Silver Spring Neighborhood Center, Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin, Community Advocates, Hunger Task Force, Milwaukee Health Department, Molina Health Care, Milwaukee Job Corps, Milwaukee Achieve Literacy Services, Milwaukee Fire Department., Graceland Cemetery and Catholic Charities.

“Our partnership with the Milwaukee Police Department is vital to Sojourner’s goal of ending the cycle of domestic violence in our community,” says Sojourner’s Executive Director, Carmen Pitre. “The Comfort Bag project is an opportunity for children who have been impacted by domestic violence to have a positive, comforting experience with an adult during a traumatic time in their life.”

The Milwaukee Police Department and Sojourner Family Peace Center have a long term partnership, aimed at ending the cycle of domestic violence in Milwaukee. Through this innovative and collaborative partnership, together the two organizations address the immediate safety needs of victims and their families.

About Sojourner Family Peace Center
Sojourner Family Peace Center is the largest provider of domestic violence prevention and intervention services in Wisconsin, serving nearly 9,000 clients annually. Our mission is to transform lives impacted by domestic violence. Our primary goals are to ensure the safety of victims of family violence and to provide a pathway out of violence for victims and abusers through opportunities to make positive and lasting changes for themselves and their children. In 2015, Sojourner celebrates 40 years of transforming lives in Milwaukee. We have been a leader in providing domestic violence programming and services in Milwaukee. As experts in the field, we have a proven track record of providing safety, support and emergency assistance to families in need.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.

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