“You hear all these stories about domestic violence and you think that’s not going to be me. It’s you more times than you realize.”
So begins I BELIEVE YOU: Faiths’ Response to Intimate Partner Violence, an hour-long interfaith documentary that explores the stories of survivors of abuse and the response of faith groups to address their needs.
The documentary aired on ABC syndicated stations in 2011 and now is available for NBC affiliates. Debra Gonsher Vinik, the documentary’s writer and producer, reports that “the documentary is free to all NBC affiliates and it can be aired one time or more than once during a 60 day window, from now through the end of November.”
“Lutheran women need to contact their local NBC affiliates to request the documentary be aired at least once between now and the end of November,” says Linda Post Bushkofsky, executive director of Women of the ELCA. To find your local NBC affiliate and contact information, click here.
“It’s an especially timely request,” says Bushkofsky, “since October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.”
“Women of the ELCA has at least two connections to I BELIEVE YOU,” says Bushkofsky. “Our organization, through Katie’s Fund, provided financial support for the documentary itself. And one of our grantees, Trinity Healing Center, and its executive director, Antonia Clemente, is featured in the film.”
In 2002, just two years after it opened, Trinity Healing Center received a $4,000 grant from the annual grants program of Women of the ELCA. The Brooklyn, New York center helps families affected by violence understand their options and how to take steps toward healing and self-sufficiency.
To continue supporting programs like these, make a gift to Katie’s Fund today.
View a trailer of the documentary here. The film can be purchased, along with a discussion guide.
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