PROMINENT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ADVOCATE, TONYA BLOUNT, ENDORSES MAYOR MIKE BLOOMBERG

Aug 28, 2009

Mayor Bloomberg was endorsed today by prominent domestic violence advocate, Tonya Blount. Ms. Blount, who is also Editor-in-Chief of Having Church for Women magazine, author of Leaving the Wilderness and a motivational speaker, has used her personal experience to become an advocate for women and children who are themselves victims of domestic violence. She has appeared in local and national press, and is a highly sought after expert on matters related to domestic violence. Ms. Blount is also the Founder of Leave the Wilderness, Inc., a Brooklyn based nonprofit organization for battered women and children.

Click here to watch a video of the endorsement.

"Since entering office in 2002, Mayor Bloomberg has increased awareness of domestic violence substantially," said Ms. Blount. "I am both pleased and excited that the Mayor has pledged his support for this important issue. He is committed to educating New Yorkers and protecting and assisting the victims of senseless and violent acts. The programs that are now in place for abused women and their children are here because of his Administration. These programs bring a new lease on life for hundreds of victims of domestic violence. Before Mike Bloomberg came into office, domestic violence resources were extremely limited. As a result, I was homeless with five children when I escaped my abusive marriage. By joining forces with the Mayor, I know -- together -- we will help build upon the City's emergency and long term response to domestic violence."

"One of my first duties as Mayor was to appoint a Commissioner to the Mayor’s Office to Combat Domestic Violence with the goal of providing resources to victims of domestic violence and driving down occurrences," said Mayor Bloomberg. "We have reduced the amount of domestic violence crime in the city by 20% and continue to offer programs that allow people in violent domestic situations a way out. Tonya’s story is one that too many New Yorkers share and together we will work to continue to see declines in domestic violence and additional resources for those who unfortunately fall victim to abusive relationships."

Mayor Bloomberg has worked aggressively to expand City services to domestic violence victims. To meet the demand for shelter requests by domestic violence victims, the City has increased the number of emergency shelter beds by 30% and longer-stay transitional housing units by 37% since 2002. In recognition of the need to increase shelter space for physically disabled domestic violence victims, a facility specially designed for disabled victims was opened in 2006. In 2007, the Mayor announced six new initiatives to improve safe housing options for domestic violence victims, including the first-ever housing subsidy program designed specifically for victims of domestic violence. Additionally, the Mayor has worked to stop domestic violence at the source. As part of the NYPD’s Domestic Violence Unit, there are over 380 Domestic Violence Prevention Officers and Domestic Violence Investigators in the City’s 76 police precincts and 9 Housing Police Service Areas. As a result, domestic violence crime has decreased by 20% since the Mayor has taken office.

The Mayor has been endorsed by numerous individuals and organizations including: Mayor Ed Koch, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, Newark Mayor Cory Booker, Washington D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty, former Secretary of State Colin Powell, Puerto Rico Governor Luis G. Fortuño, Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy, Congressman Gary Ackerman, New York State Senators Frank Padavan, Andy Lanza and Marty Golden, former Congressman Herman Badillo, former City Councilmember Madeline Provenzano, Borough President James Molinaro, Assemblyman Lou Tobacco, Assemblywoman Barbara Clark, and Councilman Eric Ulrich. Labor organizations including: OPEIU; United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1500; The Mason Tenders District Council of New York; IATSE; Local 12 Heat and Frost Insulators Union; Local 147 NYC Sandhogs, Teamsters Local 210, Teamsters Local 553, and Teamsters Local 917, Local 79 Construction and General Building Laborers, Local 1261 Lay Faculty Association, Local 66 General Building Laborers, and Local 279 Association of Professional and Specialty Workers, 32BJ SEIU; Sergeants Benevolent Association; United Association Local One; Workers United; Teamsters Joint Council 16; and The New York 10-13 Association. Newspapers from around the City includingT: he Queens Courier, Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Queens Chronicle, The Irish Voice, Impacto Latin News, New York Community Times, Queens Ledger/Brooklyn Star, EcuaTimes, Queens Tribune, El Especial & El Especialito, Illyria, Yevreiski Mir, Ming Pao Daily News, Novoye Russkoye Slovo, The New York Page, Ecuador News, Pakistan News, The Weekly Bangladesh, N.Y. Al Dia, Jewish Press, and China Press. Robin Mui, CEO of the Singtao Daily Newspaper; The High-Way Democrats; NARAL Pro-Choice New York; New Era Democrats; Rick Miranda, Brooklyn Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; Frank Naccarato, President of the Federation of Italian American Organizations; Jack Spatola, Chairman of the Federation of Italian American Organizations; Whoopi Goldberg; David Mixner; Jose Feliciano; Demetrius Kalamaras, President of the Federation of Hellenic Societies; Denisse Oller, former news anchor for Univision and Telemundo; Cav. Peter Cardella, Peter Cardella Senior Center; Maria Thomson, Greater Woodhaven Development Corporation; Tania Broschart, Middle Village Chamber of Commerce; Sal Candla, Middle Village Property Owners Association; Alfred Placeres, President of the New York State Federation of Hispanic Chambers of Commerce; the New York Dominican Officers Organization; members of the Dominican community including: Rafael Figuereo and Libio Sanchez; LGBT Community Leaders including: Richard Socarides, attorney and former Special Assistant to President Clinton; Florent Morellet, founder of the first Hispanic female-owned law firm in New York City; Carmen Pacheco, community activist and eponymous restaurateur; Isaac Mizrahi, clothing designer; Tim Gunn, Board Member - Gay Men's Health Crisis and Host of "Project Runway"; Dennis DeLeon, Executive Staff President - Latino Commission on AIDS; and Cherry Jones, Broadway actress & President Taylor on "24." Filipina leaders led by Vivian Velasco, Past President and Member of the Board of Directors of the Philippine New York; JAYCEES (Junior Chamber International); and Ma. Cristina Ramos, Presidential Adviser and Member of the Board of Directors of the Philippine New York JAYCEES. The Chinese-American Military Family Association; the Chinese-American "Yellow Ribbon" Home Front; Peter Papanicolaou, President of the Cyprus Federation of America; Woo Chul Kwak, President of the Korean Garment Manufacturer Association of New York; Jae Bok Choi, President of the Korean Construction Association of New York; Moshe Zakheim, President of the Council of Jewish Organizations of Flatbush; Panamanian and Ethnic American Veterans Political Action Committee; The NYC LGBT Chamber of Commerce; Mexican business and community leaders Juan Rojas Campos and Joel Magallan; Richard Greene, Crown Heights Youth Collective President; The Women's Cosmetology Chamber of Commerce; The Crown Heights PAC; members of the South Brooklyn community including: Lucina Clarke, C.E.O. and Founder of My Time Inc.; and Paul DiSpirito, co-President of the 18th Avenue Merchants Association. Carmen Pacheco, founder of the first Hispanic female-owned law firm in New York City; Boris Kandov, Bukharian Jewish Congress; the Political Empowerment Committee of Korean Americans; George Herrera, Former President of U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; Victoria Baxa, Liturgy Chairperson of Simbang Gabi Sa Katederal Inc.; Carmencita "Menchee" Fulgado, Ph.D and Founder and Chair Emeritus of the PhilAm Association of Immaculate Conception Church. Citywide African Leaders led by Imam Souleimane Konate, Maboussou Traore; Kane Mamadou, President of African Cab Drivers Association of NY; Ngande Ambroise from the Cameroon community in New York City; Habissatou Bah, Vice President, of United Malian Women’s Association; Fuad Maygag, Political Affairs Advisor from the Republic of Somalia; Naulin Mombo, President of the Gaboneze Association of New York; Poudia Kabory, Vice President of Gaboneze Association of New York; Siredione Conde, President of the African Day Parade; Tahirou Sawadodo, from the Burkina Faso community in New York City; Imam Muhammad Saitou of the Bilal Mosque in the Bronx and also from the Togo community in New York City; Beliard Lucien, President of African Caribbean Television; Mahamadou Keita, President of the United Council of Mali; and Elhadji Ndao, President of Seno Africa Radio and also from the Senegal community in New York City. SinoVision; New York Department of Correction Hispanic Society; community leaders Joyce S. Johnson and Virginia L. Montague; the Republican Parties of Brooklyn, Staten Island, Queens, the Bronx and Manhattan; the New York City Independence Party; Boris Pincus, President of the Brooklyn Regan Republican Club; NYC Log Cabin Republicans; Members of the Jewish Community Council of Marine Park: Jason Sharf, Yehoshua Gelbstein, Steven Spitzer, Steven Traube and Victor Shine; Aldo’s Independent Democratic Club; NY League of Conservation Voters; Nasir Awan, Chairman of the Pakistan Independence Day Parade & Fair Committee Inc.; Dr. Mohammad Khalid, President of the Pakistani Civic Association of Staten Island; Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty; José Velazquez, Chairperson of the National Hispanic Business Group; Sandy Aboulafia, President of the Midwood Civic Action Council; Joann Hsieh, President of the Chinese American Business Women’s Association; Loida Lewis, Trustee of the National Federation of Filipino American Association (NFFAA); influential community members in Riverdale including: Miriam Westheimer, immediate past president of the YM-YWHA; and Terry Connaughton, owner of the Riverdale Steakhouse; Shirley Rodriguez Remeneski, President of 100 Hispanic Women, Inc.; Meilin Tan, President of the Small Business Owners of Greater New York; Peter Koo, President of the Flushing Chinese Business Association; Inderjit Singh, Executive Chair of the South Asian Community Council; Shiv Daas, President of the Jackson Heights Merchant Association; Stephen Chen, Chair of the Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans; Joe Ramos, NY Chapter President of the National Federation of Filipino American Association; Donald Hong, Board Member of the Chinese American Planning Council; Thomas Sim, President of NY Chapter of the National Association of Asian American Professionals; Chuen Ti Chan, Acting Chairman of the Fukien American Association; Tony Yau, Executive Vice President of the Fukien American Association; Justin Yu, President of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce; Yong Hwa Ha, President, Korean American Association of Greater New York; Giho Kim, Executive Director of the Korean American Counseling Center; Kwang Chul Chun of the Korean American Merchandise Association of NY; Mr. Ki Chol Kim, former President of Korean American Association of Greater New York (KAAGNY); Yong Sun Kim, President of the Korean Nail Salon Association; Míriam Colón Valle, founder of the Puerto Rican Traveling Theater; Michael Landau, Chairman of the Council of Jewish Organizations of the West Side; Chaim Deutsch, Founder of the Flatbush Shomrim; Richard B. Stone, Columbia University law professor and Jewish advocate; Rabbi Joseph Karasick, former President of the Orthodox Union; Jewish community members: Shea Schwebel, Alexander Scharf, Y. David Scharf, Dr. David Diamond, Samuel Yellin, Oliver Mitchell and Elliot Gibber. Numerous religious leaders and minister are also supporting the Mayor for his re-election including: Reverend Dr. Wenton A. Fyne, Church of the Nazarene; A.R. Bernard, the Christian Cultural Center (CCC); Reverend Floyd Flake, Greater Allen A. M. E.; Reverend Dr. Birkett, Church Alive Community Church; Reverend Dr. Calvin Rice, New Jerusalem Baptist Church; Reverend William Smalls, Naomi AME Zion Church; Mohammad Razvi, Executive Director of Council of People’s Organization; Malcolm Byrd, Varick Memorial AME Zion Church; Bishop George Shorts, Pilgrim Cathedral of East New York; Bishop Mitchell Taylor, Center of Hope International; Reverend John Marshall, New Life Missionary Baptist; Reverend Demetrius S. Carolina Sr., First Central Baptist Church; Bishop Rubin Mitchell, Jesus Family Ministries; Pastor Dennis Loncke, Arverne Pilgrim Church; Reverend Shon Adkins, Pastor of the Antioch Baptist Church; Reverend Clifton Mullings, Evangelical Holiness Church; Pastor Paul Cockfield, Battalion Pentecostal Church; Pastor Benjamin Patterson, First Presbyterian Church; Pastor Milton Sterling, Berea New Testament Church of God; Reverend Ismale Pierre, French Speaking Baptist Church; Reverend Alex Pierre, Haitian Baptist Church of Salvation; Pastor Les Mullings, Far Rockaway Community Church of the Nazarene; Reverend Lenroy Pascall, Springfield Garden Nazarene; Pastor Thomas Johnson, Harlem Canaan Baptist Church; Bishop Cecil G. Riley, Freedom Hall Church of God; Reverend Robert Royal, St. Paul's Community Baptist Church; Reverend Shepherd Lee, Baptist Temple Church; Sheikh Salihou Djabi, Council of African Imams; Archbishop James P. Roberts, Cathedral of St. Thomas Church; Reverend Patricia Singletary, Elemdorf Reform Church; Reverend James Morrison, Mount Lebanon Baptist Church; Reverend Carlene Thorbes, Past President of the Baptist Ministers Conference of Queens; Reverend Earl Chester, Greater New Beginnings Church; Rev. Gregory Robeson Smith, Mother Zion AME Church; Rev. Henry A. Belin III, Bethel AME Church; Rev. Renee Washington Garner, Metropolitan Baptist Church; Rev. Charles Curtis, Mount Olivet Baptist Church and the Vaad Harabbonim of Flatbush PAC. Prominent community leader Dr. Eda Hastick; Chief Lookman Sulaimon, publisher of the Caribbean Echo Newspaper; Dr. Henry Frank, Haitian Centers Council; Nerlande Malverse, Haitian community representative; Derek Cyrus, Guyanese community representative; Lennox Britton, President, of New York State Association of Minority Contractors (NYSAM); Elenora Bernard, Chair woman of NYSAM; Monica Foster of F and R Installers; Omar Bouche, Flatbush community leader; Robert Brown, Flatbush community leader; Mike Roberts, Flatbush community leader; Maurice Phillips, Flatbush community leader; Derek Noel, President of Deck Productions; Pamela Brown of St. Vincent and the Grenadines; Lynn Brown of Belize; Community leaders: Fritz Clervil, Ricot Dupuy, Jackson Rockingster, Evans Hertelou, Herold Dasque and Stephan Durand. ### August 28, 2009