Family Justice Center Opens "One-Stop" Assistance Center for Domestic Violence Victims

February 12, 2011
Rachel Kingston

Orchard Park, NY (WBEN) -- Two years to the date after Aasiya Hassan's murder, a new domestic violence assistance center is opening in Orchard Park.

It's no coincidence that the ribbon-cutting for the all-inclusive resource center and shelter is being held on the anniversary of Mrs. Hassan's death. The idea for the Family Justice Center's satellite office was born at a memorial mass for Aasiya Hassan in December of 2009.

"The Park Parsons - a group of pastors in Orchard Park - got together and hosted a memorial mass for Aasiya. And following the memorial mass, the pastors sat down, starting comparing notes about domestic violence, and realized more and more of their congregation members were presenting domestic violence issues to them," explains Mary Travers Murphy, Executive Director of the Family Justice Center.

"They knew this issue was complex, basically because they had been reading about Aasiya's case, and they knew they didn't have the training at that point to really start addressing it," Travers Murphy says. "They thought, 'You know what, what happened to Aasiya is happening to many, many other women... some of whom are in our own congregations and parishes. And we want to address it head-on.'"

"So the pastors came to the Family Justice Center in January of last year, right around the very first week I took the job, and said, we need help," the former Orchard Park Town Supervisor continues. "Reverend Young, of the [Orchard Park] Presbyterian Church said, 'By the way, we have this house next door, maybe we could put that to use.' And the rest, literally, is history."

Employees of the Family Justice Center, the pastors, their parishioners, and other members of the community got to work on renovating the empty house on the Orchard Park Presbyterian Church's campus, transforming it into what it is today.

"This has happened quickly. The community of Orchard Park has responded like nobody could ever imagine," says Travers Murphy, "...with volunteers, and money, and muscle. And the home is stunningly beautiful."

It's a "one stop shop" for all the resources that victims of domestic violence need to escape their situations, the first of its kind in New York State.

"We've taken every single solitary service a victim could need... and put them in one place," Travers Murphy explains. The Family Justice Center's 12 partners, all of whom will be operating and accessible in one form or another at the house. They include Erie County Family Court (which issues Orders of Protection), Haven House, Crisis Services, the Erie County District Attorney's Office, the Buffalo Police Department, and Neighborhood Legal Services.

Through the new house, victims can obtain counseling, legal assistance, temporary shelter, and medical care - the place also hosts the only forensic medical unit in the state that's focused specifically on domestic violence.

"We've found that, in the past, navigating services that were spread all over the place proved very difficult, time-consuming, frustrating, and in some cases, unsafe. So a one-stop model like this is the answer to helping victims do it successfully, safely, and easily," Travers Murphy asserts.

She's hoping that today's ribbon-cutting will send a message to those like Mrs. Hassan, who suffer in silence.

"The message is, you deserve better. It's totally unacceptable to live with the abuse, and the tear of the violence. And we are here to help," she says.

Though it's located on the campus of the Orchard Park Presbyterian Church', the center will serve people of all faiths, socioeconomic groups, ethnicities, and genders.