Media Contact:
Susan Pettit
The Second Step
David.pettit@att.net
(978) 443-3137

The Second Step Observes National Make A Difference Day With Playground Installation at Transitional Residences for Survivors of Domestic Abuse and Their Children

Employees of Salomon Smith Barney and Tufts Health Care serve as Volunteers

Newton, MA., October 26, 2002 -- The Second Step, a private nonprofit agency that provides long-term transitional housing and support services to survivors of domestic violence and their children, will celebrate National Make A Difference Day with the help of more than 50 volunteers from Salomon Smith Barney and Tufts Health Care who will install new playgrounds at the organization’s two residences. The purchase of this new playground equipment has been made possible by funding from Salomon Smith Barney and the Women’s Independence Network, Inc. (WIN). The playgrounds will provide a safe environment where resident children will be able to enjoy hours of fun and exercise.

The Second Step enables women who are in abusive situations to break the cycle of violence and to rebuild their lives by gaining the life skills and self-confidence to become economically self-sufficient and emotionally independent of their abusers. The agency has been in existence since 1992 and has worked with more than 100 women and their children in their residential program and more than 780 families through its outreach programs. The goal of the programs is to help women find a way from violence to self-reliance.

Residents are referred to The Second Step’s transitional housing program by more than 33 battered women’s crisis shelters throughout Massachusetts. Qualified residents, who come from diverse socioeconomic, religious, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds, must demonstrate a serious commitment to The Second Step’s work-study and job training programs. The Second Step boasts a high success rate: 97% of its residents have remained free of domestic abuse; 85 % are in permanent housing; and 80% are no longer on welfare.

“Domestic violence does not discriminate. It can happen to anyone. The Second Step’s mission is to break the cycle of family violence, one family at a time. We reach out to women from all walks of life who have left their abusers and are struggling with the financial and economic roadblocks to independence. Through our program, residents receive the professional counseling and family services that enable them to regain their dignity and self-worth so that they can go out into the world and lead abuse-free and economically productive lives,” said Liz Kirsch, Executive Director of The Second Step.

About The Second Step:
Founded in 1992, The Second Step is a private, nonprofit organization that provides long-term transitional services to survivors of domestic abuse and their children. Its mission is to help women develop life and job skills that enable them to make a successful transition to independent living. The agency is funded through federal, state, and local grants as well as donations from individuals, corporations, foundations, and community organizations. More information about the agency can be found at www.thesecondstep.org.