Community partnership meeting brings together helping agencies

A Wright-Patterson Air Force Base community partnership event was held at the Religious Education Facility in the Prairies housing area Oct.12, bringing together more than 40 helping agencies.

It was a free networking event open to public agencies that target outreach, prevention, new parent support, victim advocacy and maltreatment. The goal was to help attendees become educated on the Wright-Patterson Family Advocacy Program and other community services available in the local area.

The program opened with Col. Imelda Reedy, 88th Medical Group deputy commander, delivering opening remarks.

“We are under attack in our own backyard. A silent war is injuring many innocent people,” Reedy said. “One in 10 people knows someone that has been affected by domestic violence.”

The meeting corresponded with National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, which is observed annually in October. It is estimated that in the United States 12 million people are affected each year by domestic violence.

Wright-Patterson AFB has always been a good community partner, said Timothy Moss, Wright-Patterson Family Advocacy officer.

“There has never been a more important time to identify and emphasize the responsibility of sharing the massive need to strengthen military and civilian collaborative efforts in responding to and prevention of domestic violence,” said Moss.

The community partnership’s mission is to “support military families on the military mission by strengthening the local military and civilian community interagency collaboration by preventing and responding to domestic violence.”

The following key points were addressed during the meeting:

• Partner with experts from organizations engaging in domestic violence research to be on the forefront of emerging issues impacting mission readiness;

• Synchronize procedures to ensure a coordinated community response between military and civilian communities and evaluate the results of domestic violence prevention and intervention efforts;

• Address barriers that victims and survivors face while attempting to become safe;

• Identify gaps in services, areas for training and instances where offenders may slip through the cracks;

• Help community partners understand current and future challenges facing military families and veterans and advancing effective solutions.

“We must work together and use every tool at our disposal to ensure domestic violence becomes an issue of the past,” said Reedy.

For more information about the services the Wright-Patterson Family Advocacy program offers, call 937-257-4608. They can be reached 24 hours a day.

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