October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Please join your fellow New York Red Bulls fans in raising money for Jersey Battered Women's Service. *WHY DO WE CARE?* -1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have been victims of [some form of] physical violence by an intimate partner within their lifetime. -On average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States. -1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men have been victims of severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime. (Statistics provided by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence) *WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH THE RED BULLS?* The final regular-season Red Bulls game is against Orlando City SC. Will Johnson, a prominent player on Orlando City, was arrested on a domestic violence charge in 2017 and served only a 5 game suspension while the charges were investigated. MLS swept the incident under the rug, issuing a weak statement when he returned to the league a month after his arrest. As supporters, we want to make it clear that we stand against domestic violence, no matter how talented a player may be. Fittingly, purple is the color of domestic violence awareness, so we want to make sure that this message is delivered when we play the team in the purple jerseys on October 28th. We also encourage #RBNY fans to wear purple on Thursday, October 18th in honor of the #PurpleThursday campaign to raise awareness for domestic violence causes. We will be all RED on the 28th, so take the opportunity on the 18th to support this cause. *WHY THIS CHARITY?* Jersey Battered Women's Service is a local Morris County charity with an impeccable record. They have a score of 99.15/100 on Charity Navigator and have received the Platinum Seal of Transparency on Guidestar. As they are a smaller local charity, our money will have a larger impact. With their outstanding record, we can be assured that it will go directly to providing services for domestic abuse survivors and to prevent domestic violence. From their website: JBWS is a full-service domestic violence and domestic abuse prevention agency with volunteer opportunities. The services include a 24-hour hotline; counseling; safe house; transitional living; children's services; life skills education; vocational counseling; batterers' intervention; legal assistance; teen dating violence services; and professional training, education and youth prevention programs.
