This week CTLN Opinion+ had the opportunity to speak with Debra Greenwood, President, and CEO of The Center for Family Justice (CFJ). Greenwood has spent more than 35 years in nonprofit management, with extensive experience in strategic planning, fundraising, community mobilization, and leadership and program development.

Prior to joining The Center for Family Justice, she served as a CEO at various YMCAs in the region, leading four successful Capital Campaigns that resulted in creating a new YMCA, two renovations at different Ys, and most recently remodeling The Center for Family Justice. 

The Center for Family Justice is a nonprofit that provides free, confidential crisis and supportive services to victims and survivors of domestic, sexual, and child violence in Bridgeport, Easton, Fairfield, Monroe, Stratford, and Trumbull. Dated back to 1895, it began as the Bridgeport YWCA, and in 2016 it became Connecticut’s first Family Justice Center to provide support and help in keeping victims safe under one roof in one safe place. Today, CFJ joins over 150 family justice centers in the U.S. and 16 other countries to help victims lead a life free of trauma and abuse.

CFJ offers 24/7 crisis hotlines for sexual and domestic violence victims. It welcomes non-English speakers by providing bilingual services. Greenwood says, “looking and understanding the people that we serve and in addition to our hotlines being in Spanish as well, we have language lines for those that speak many languages.” Their most prominent population support group is in Spanish, and they are now adding a Portuguese support group. Hotline services expanded to in-office visits, and satellite offices are available for those in the suburbs.

The pandemic affected all of us worldwide, but more so for those individuals who had no choice but to stay home with their abusive partners. She mentioned that abuse could be more than partner violence, not only husband and wife or boyfriend and girlfriend. It could be a mother or father and their child. “We realized so many individuals were sheltering at home with their abusive partner.” “Schools were online, and kids weren’t going to school, so they didn’t have that safety net where they can speak to a teacher or guidance counselor or someone.”

After the lockdown, their office pivoted in less than 72 hours and went completely remote. “We never stopped with our hotlines or counseling those that we have been counseling.”

CFJ advocates and counselors continued working on their cases non-stop. They noticed their numbers were jumping well over 25-30 percent in the greater Bridgeport area.

Another great topic discussed is CFJ’s legal and attorneys’ support system. They provide free and confidential services to help victims through the journey of survivorship. This service is especially needed when the mother is trying to keep her children safe, and in many cases, the children are taken away.

A new empower house is opening in Fall 2022, supporting around 1,400 individuals and children who need a safe place to stay. This empower house was possible through the state’s financial support, foundation donations, and grants received.

Resources mentioned in this episode: https://centerforfamilyjustice.org/about-us/