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CONNECT training staff has been providing monthly Domestic Violence training, on site consultation, and as needed phone consultation, to Family Services for Deaf Children and Adults(New York Foundling), since 2007. The training is a creative mix of factual information, use of video clips, and case examples that allows each person at the training an opportunity to connect to the material and enter the discussion. The traiing is consistently excellent, and I would recommend it without heisitation. Tony Christopher Director Deaf Services New York Foundling

I first became familiar with CONNECT in 2005 as an instructor for the Cornell University Family Development Training and Credentialing Program. This course is designed to empower staff to work in more empowering ways with families. I continue to deliver the training, under the sponsorship of the NYC Administration for Children's Services Head Start Training Institute, to Head Start staff / front-line workers from all boroughs. These workers often are called upon to provide support and resources to families where domestic violence and other specialized services are needed. One of the students in the class was a Latino male, Marlon Walker, who, at the time, volunteered for CONNECT and has since has become a valued staff member for the organization. I was impressed and inspired by his passion for CONNECT and the work it was doing to provide domestic violence services in NYC. The fact that he was a Latino male engaged in this work was particularly striking to me since I had rarely met males in this field before. As part of my background, I have been a victim of and victor over domestic violence. My sensitivity to the subject increased during my four-decade career working with Head Start staff and families and when faced with the issue of domestic violence within my extended family. Curious following Marlon's presentation to our class related to the comprehensive services CONNECT provides, I began attending their training programs and collaborated with CONNECT to avail their services to the broader NYC Head Start community and with the NYC agency providing child protective services. CONNECT also provided excellent workshops at conferences sponsored by the Family Development Association of New York State and NYC Region. I found all their training programs extremely informative, interactive, if not actually transformational. They also embraced family development principles. Those addressing male involvement were of particular importance since that was a prominent subject within the Head Start community. Participants came from diverse community and government based programs. Their training and otherwise related events were delivered by knowledgeable in-house staff and experts in the field. Of particular note are the comprehensive and varied services it provides from preventing bullying to engaging men in the fight against domestic and family violence. It is an honor to be an advocate for CONNECT and promote its service within the Head Start and family development communities of NYC and New York State. It is a quality organization from its leadership to the pursuit of its mission.

CONNECT is an invaluable resource to victims of violence and to professionals and communities who serve and support them. More funding should be granted to help CONNECT continue to provide support and counsel to victims of violence and to increase capacity to professionals who come into contact with victims of violence and to grow awareness and advocacy among community members to address this chronic problem and underserved population. It is extremely disappointing that ACS has withdrawn services to CONNECT for their wonderful FVPP program, as my staff have benefitted so much from the trainings offered and looked forward to more...

I was contacted by Connect because I am an artist who does work with womens issues, but I didn't know much about domestic violence in particular, so I took one course at Connect to learn about it. I have never had a better, more interesting, more well conducted course than that which opened my eyes on women and my personal story so much, so after that I took 2 more training courses at Connect, and realized that this subject should be taught in schools all over. Each woman thinks it's just her, her personality and seeing the whole picture it really transforms you. Awareness opens one's eyes and mind (and heart) and we all need that so badly! Perhaps Connect should be called "Women Awareness Center" because it's much more than what it seems (domestic violence prevention center)! I love this center and they have so much to teach! I particularly admired the trainers: I have never see seminars conducted in such a marvelleus way! I am from Italy, excuse my spelling mistakes :)

I have been familar with CONNECT for over 5 years, and have the highest regard for them as an organization as a whole and for the staff members individually. I built a relationship with the executive director, Ms. Kala Ganesh, and others, such as Sally MacNichol and Quentin walcott, who exemplify making a difference to individuals and the community around the topic of abuse and violence. They spearhead the annual Bride's march in the Bronx; offer trainings and workshops on all areas of domestic violence and the devasting impact this abuse has on women, children and families, and the community as a whole. For my particular project here at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, they presented statistics as well as the individual psycho-social stressors and the structural issues contributing to violence to teens who are researching various health disparities using a Community approach, including violence and injury. The staff has engaged and challenged these youths from the Bronx community to effect change and seek ways to prevent violence. CONNECT has made a committment to provide whatever information and resources they have to our teens about violence. As well, they conduct an outstanding annual sexual harassment in the workplace training with our teens and staff. CONNECT's staff's relatability to teens in their style of communication, and listening is noted. Their ability to reframe the teens' often reported observations that "domestic violence and abuse is normal and part of a any relationship". These comments are largely based on what they see in their home, with their peers, and within the community & the media has made a significant impact in the teens' awareness. The staff of connect, from the executive director down, are very hands on and sensitive, caring, strong, and nurturing. I have made several referrals to CONNECT and appreciate their expansion into schools and other CBO's and FBO's. This expansion has created an increase in CONNECT's visibility of their resources and services, and their ability to address relevant topics, including men who are battered, sexual harrassment in the work place, cultural competency around differing nationalities and norms, same sex relationship abuse, bullying in schools, and non-violent forms of abuse. CONNECT's forward thinking approach has been critical with the issues involved with sexting & cell phone stalking which has become a growing concern for many teens, and these teens, as well as many of the adults in their lives, lack the awareness to fully understand the damaging consequences of this form of abuse. A major strength I experience with CONNECT is that the satffing is NOT comprised of just caucasion women, but the satff members mirror the true diverstiy of men, women, straight, LGBTQ, black, white, latino and Asian in NYC. I highly commend them for their continuous and unwavering dedication toward ending violence.