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Our Mission
To provide permanent, affordable, safe housing and supportive services for survivors of domestic violence and their children.
Dina's Dwellings, Town Clock CDC's apartments for survivors of domestic violence
Town Clock Executive Director Susan Kramer-Mills speaks at the first Being Brave Gala in 2019
Our Vision
To end the cycle of domestic violence by giving survivors time.
WHAT WE DO IS:
INNOVATIVE
Fills the gap through a long-term, housing-first approach
Ends homelessness by providing housing and supportive services
Ability to build a national model for municipalities, housing corporations and places of worship to duplicate
EFFECTIVE
SCALABLE
Housing Projects
Dina's Dwellings
Dina’s Dwellings is Town Clock CDC’s
first complete housing project, which reconfigured the sanctuary of the
First Reformed Church to provide ten affordable housing units for survivors of domestic violence.
Barbara Littman House
The Barbara Littman House, which used to be the custodial home for First Reformed Church, is Town Clock CDC's first expansion project. This newly renovated historic house is now the home for a family of survivors.
Case Management Program
Town Clock CDC offers a wide array of services to its residents, engaging in a holistic approach to recovery and regaining stability and autonomy.
Our Case Management Program includes:
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Management
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Clinical Counseling
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Programming:
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Art Therapy
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Yoga Therapy
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Kids' Day
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Community Dinners
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Parenting Workshops
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Financial Literacy
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Self-empowerment Workshops
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Scholarships to Higher Learning Opportunities
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About Domestic Violence
What Is Domestic Violence?
Domestic violence is a pattern of behaviors used by one partner to maintain power and control over another partner in an intimate relationship.
PHYSICAL & SEXUAL VIOLENCE
sexual coercion, battery
PSYCHOLOGICAL ABUSE
isolation, stalking, surveillance, demeaning, ridicule
FINANCIAL CONTROL
restricting access to income,
controlling all bank accounts
Who Is Affected?
WOMEN WHO EXPERIENCE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE:
68% Bisexual
43% Lesbian
40% African American
35% Heterosexual
33% Latina
30-50% Transgender
The Problem
Domestic violence and emotional abuse are harmful behaviors in which one person in a relationship manipulates and controls the other. This abuse exists across the spectrum of gender and relationships: heterosexual and homosexual couples, married and unmarried couples, and those living together, dating, or separated.
Common behaviors include physical harm, threats, intimidation, verbal abuse, and stalking.
Though anyone can be a victim of domestic violence, nearly 95% are women.
Domestic violence is a serious problem affecting women
on a local, national and state level.
Victims who remove themselves from abusive situations often must also tear themselves away from their homes, neighborhoods and communities.
Lacking other options for shelter,
victims often stay in abusive situations.
Knowing that they do not have any alternatives will ensure that fewer women facing domestic violence will reach out for help. More options must be available for them to seek help.
The Solution
In order for victims of domestic violence to recover from their trauma and once again become productive members of society, they must have access to
supportive and affordable housing.
Communities must respond with the resources they need so that women can empower themselves to leave harmful environments and get back on their feet.
There are not enough resources available
for women seeking safe space,
both nationally and at a local level.
14.9% of the chronically homeless population in Middlesex County last year were victims of domestic violence. According to the Middlesex County Homelessness Count (conducted on January 27, 2015), 61 homeless households reported being victims of domestic violence.
Town Clock CDC helps to address this need.
Dina's Dwellings provides ten apartment units of affordable, permanent housing to ensure that women and children can safely leave abusive situations for good, and we have expanded into an additional space, the Barbara Littman House, with the goal of growing even further while building a national model for other municipalities, housing corporations, and places of worship to duplicate.
The Need
57%
of homeless women
cite domestic violence as cause of their homelessness
33%
of women
have experienced domestic violence in their lifetime
- National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Children Are Affected
6x more
likely to commit suicide
50% more
likely to abuse drugs and alcohol
74% more
3x more
likely to commit a violent crime
likely to repeat the
cycle of abuse in adulthood
- Childhood Domestic Violence Association