Nassau County Bar Association Donates $7,500 To The Safe Center To Support Bilingual Services For Hotline Callers

LongIsland.com

The Language Line Project was first initiated in August of 2006, allowing callers to the Safe Center’s hotline to access services despite language differences.

Print Email

(L to R): Rosalia Baiamonte, Immediate Past President, NCBA; Joseph Lo Piccolo, WE CARE Co-Chair; Bridget Mantello, The Safe Center; and NCBA President Sanford Strenger. Photo Credit: The Safe Center

The Safe Center, located in Bethpage, NY, today announced it has received a $7,500 grant from the WE CARE Fund, the nationally-recognized charitable arm of the Nassau County Bar Association, to support the Language Line Project which provides language interpretation services in most languages for callers to its hotline. 

The Language Line Project was first initiated in August of 2006, allowing callers to the Safe Center’s hotline to access services despite language differences. Since that time, it has been an invaluable tool for individuals, allowing communication with any hotline caller on a 24-hour/seven-day basis, as well as access to the full array of advocacy, case management, clinical, and legal services, and to assess each situation and provide the most appropriate intervention despite language differences.

“Interpersonal violence doesn’t respect language barriers,” said Debbie Lyons, Associate Executive Director of The Safe Center. “WE CARE’s support helps individuals seeking out a life free of violence for themselves and their children.”

Founded in 1988 by NCBA Past President Stephen Gassman, WE CARE funds are raised by the legal profession and the community at large. In its 30- years of service, the WE CARE Fund has distributed more than $5,000,000 through charitable grants to improve the quality of life for children, the elderly and others in need throughout Nassau County. Nurtured by the tireless efforts of lawyers and judges, the WE CARE program has matured into a nationally recognized model for similar programs instituted by other bar groups. With the financial support and personal effort of so many, WE CARE has been able to serve the community in a myriad of ways.

About The Safe Center

The Safe Center, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit, is the leading victim service organization in Nassau County, providing comprehensive and trauma-informed services for victims of interpersonal violence including domestic violence, child sexual and severe physical abuse, rape and sexual assault, human trafficking, and elder abuse. In 2014, The Safe Center was created by the merger of the Nassau County Coalition Against Domestic Violence (founded in 1978) and the Coalition Against Child Abuse & Neglect (founded in 1979). This merger created a highly integrated service model to empower victims of interpersonal violence to recover from their abuse. The Safe Center operates a 24-hour Hotline (516-542-0404) providing crisis intervention, access to services, and information and support. Visit https://www.tscli.org for more information. Follow The Safe Center on FacebookTwitter and Instagram.