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Lena Alhusseini, Selected as a White House Champion of Change
The Arab-American Family Support Center (AAFSC) is proud to announce that our Executive Director, Lena Alhusseini, has been selected by the White House as a Champion of Change for Domestic Violence Awareness. Ms. Alhusseini, who will be honored for AAFSC’s efforts to address domestic violence in New York City’s Arab American community, will join 14 additional Champions on October 20, 2011 at the White House for a special event highlighting their work to end domestic violence on a local level.
The Champions of Change program was created by the White House as a part of President Obama’s Winning the Future initiative. Each month, groups of Champions, ranging from educators to entrepreneurs to community activists, are recognized for the work they do to better their communities.
Ms. Alhusseini, a champion for women’s rights, believes strongly in AAFSC’s domestic violence program, which aims to address the needs of Arab American survivors in New York City. Through a partnership with the Brooklyn Family Justice Center and an office in downtown Brooklyn, AAFSC provides a range of culturally and linguistically competent services, including crisis intervention, individual counseling, support and empowerment groups, referrals to service providers, court accompaniments, translation assistance, and community outreach and education.
Since the inception of the program, AAFSC has served over 400 survivors of domestic violence and provided educational forums for approximately 90 community leaders. Additionally, AAFSC holds preventive workshops at mosques, churches, and community centers to educate the public on the signs of domestic violence, the resources available for survivors, and the dangers of remaining silent about this issue. AAFSC’s program has served as a model for other countries, and assists organizations from Jordan and Saudi Arabia in establishing best practices for their programs.
AAFSC’s Board of Directors and staff are proud of Ms. Alhusseini and AAFSC’s domestic violence program. We hope that you will continue to support us as we work to end domestic violence and help survivors heal and empower themselves.