Daniel B. Maffei: “Vera House, which is based in Syracuse in my central New York district has been working to end domestic violence in the…”

“Vera House, which is based in Syracuse in my central New York district has been working to end domestic violence in the area for 35 years. Each year, we come together during the White Ribbon Campaign to show our support for Vera House's important work. Vera House provides critical resources for victims of sexual violence in central New York. It ensures that all victims and families receive the care, counseling, and advocacy they need and deserve. It offers shelter services, counseling for children and adult survivors of rape and sexual abuse, and it offers violence preservation education. Vera House and many organizations like it across the country need our continued support. An estimated 1.3 million people are victims of domestic violence every year--men and women who are straight, gay, transgender, as well as so many children. Nearly 7.8 million women have been raped by an intimate partner at some point in their lives. Mr. Speaker, each year, Vera House serves about 1,050 survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and other crimes. Vera House's counseling program helps over 700 impacted by domestic or sexual violence. The White Ribbon Campaign asks people to wear a white ribbon as a symbol of awareness and solidarity with all those affected by domestic violence. ____________________”