October 19, 2009
St.
John’s University was presented with a $10,000 grant from the
Verizon foundation on October 16 to help the University’s PARTNERS
program.
After being presented with the grant, Dr. Elissa Brown, Ph.D.,
Executive Director and Founder of PARTNERS, told the audience at
the ceremony that St. John’s PARTNERS program helps the University
to stay true to its Vincentian mission.
“We are building community coalitions and offering services to
those least likely to receive them,” Dr. Brown told the audience
gathered in the Donovan Community Room in the Queens campus’
Residence Village.
PARTNERS (Preventing Adverse Reactions to Negative Events and
Related Stress) is a multi-disciplinary clinical research program
based in the Department of Psychology that offers free,
state-of-the-art mental health services to underserved children and
families in multicultural communities.
PARTNERS was one of seven not-for-profit groups in Queens to
receive the grant, which Verizon provided to organizations that
address the problem of domestic violence through education,
advocacy, support and prevention initiatives.
Verizon’s director for community affairs in Queens, June
Jee, began the ceremony by saying that Verizon, St. John’s
University, and the other organizations present, service the same
community: Queens.
“Everyone in this room is fighting the good fight,” Jee
said.
St. John’s University, whose Vincentian mission is to help those
in need, was the ideal setting for the event, and the University
received praise of its own.
“Thank you, St. John’s University for hosting us; I truly want
to thank St. John’s,” Jee said as she stood with John Bonomo,
Verizon’s Northeast Director of Media Relations and a St. John’s
University graduate who came back to alma mater to present the
awards.
The other groups awarded the grant were Garden of Hope, which
provides services to the children of abused female Chinese
immigrants in New York City; the Center for the Women of New York,
which helps women who have suffered emotional and physical abuse;
Forestdale, Inc.’s Fathering Initiative, which helps reconnect
estranged fathers with their children; Safe Space, which provides
mental health services to children and their families who have
suffered abuse; Turning Point for Women and Families, which
provides support to Muslim women suffering from abuse; and Sakhi,
which helps abused women safely and productively enter the world
after being a victim of violence.
All of the recipients, attendees and Verizon employees ended the
reception by posing for a group photo, as they boldly stated they
are all “PARTNERS” in fighting domestic violence and supporting
abuse survivors.
For more information on the “PARTNERS” program, click
here, or call (718) 990-2367.