PHOENIX - The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office (MCAO) will host a free family-friendly movie night at Goodyear Ballpark on Saturday, September 26 to mark the start of Domestic Violence Awareness month in October and to raise funds for the New Life Center, a domestic violence shelter. The event will feature a screening of “The Lego Movie” and is free of charge. Snacks and beverages will be available for purchase; donations for the New Life Center will be accepted.
MCAO volunteers will also be on hand with information for the public on domestic violence and other crime prevention topics. Goodyear Ballpark is located at 1933 S. Ballpark Way, Goodyear. Gates open at 6:30 p.m., and the movie starts at 7:00 p.m.
“Domestic violence affects our friends, our neighbors, and our communities. The impacts on families are serious and can last a lifetime,” said Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery. “We encourage residents to join us for this event to help raise awareness about preventing this crime and the widespread harm it can cause.”
Domestic violence is not only a serious crime but a widespread public health concern. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 20 people in the U.S. are victims of physical violence by an intimate partner each minute.
“The New Life Center focuses on keeping the victim’s family together while allowing her the opportunity to get job and life skills so that she can be free from her abuser and be able to establish independence,” said MCAO Family Violence Bureau Chief Hilary Weinberg, lead organizer of the event. “This movie night will be a family-friendly, non-threatening venue for sharing information about domestic violence and highlighting the important work of the New Life Center.”
About the New Life Center: New Life Center, a non-profit corporation, provides shelter, counseling, advocacy and other services necessary to assist victims of domestic violence and their families build sustainable, violence-free lives. The organization promotes community awareness of the need for domestic violence services. The purpose of New Life Center is to provide a temporary, safe, caring environment for female victims of domestic violence and their children for up to 120 days. The shelter is staffed 24-hours a day, every day of the year, by caring professionals and volunteers. New Life Center believes that everyone has a right to live in an environment free of violence, and that a shared responsibility exists between citizens and government to provide a facility in the southwestern area of Maricopa County to shelter and counsel victims of domestic violence and their children.
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