“Safe Rooms” program for kids

Think “Joe Torre” and it usually means baseball. But the Yankees manager brought a different message to Westchester when he recently joined County Executive Andy Spano to announce a new schools program that speaks to his other passion in life - kids and domestic violence.

The Joe Torre Safe At Home Foundation is expanding its Margaret’s Place program into four Westchester schools this fall. Middle and high school students will have a designated “safe room” in their school where they can go to talk about abuse and learn about healthy and unhealthy relationships. The program, named for Torre’s mother, is now available at White Plains High School, Pelham Middle School, Emerson Middle
School (Yonkers) and Louis M. Klein Middle School (Harrison).

“No child should have to live in a world of domestic violence, and being able to go to a safe room at school will help ensure that they don’t,” Spano said. “Margaret’s Place has been incredibly successful in New York City and we are so pleased that the Torre Foundation is bringing the program to Westchester. By working together, and expanding our network of services, we can better protect our children and families.”

The kickoff event - featuring Torre - was part of a countywide campaign emphasizing the need for the whole community to get involved. Westchester’s Office for Women has launched public service announcements, an expanded speaker’s bureau, and new materials focusing on how you can make a difference.

“The Safe At Home Foundation is thrilled to bring Margaret’s Place to Westchester County,” stated Torre. “Domestic violence is a national tragedy that affects families of all cultures and economic means. We need to educate children to help end this vicious cycle and save lives.”
Torre grew up in a home where he was fearful of his own father, who abused his mother. Having spent much of his life coming to terms with his own home situation, he committed to helping others escape the same fate by founding the Joe Torre Safe At Home Foundation in 2002. The Foundation founded its first Margaret’s Place shortly thereafter and now offers programs in several New York City schools.
Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS) is partnering with Torre’s Foundation to implement the program in Westchester. The program was sponsored by the Westchester County Office for Women and co-sponsored by the Joe Torre Safe At Home Foundation and Westchester County Youth Bureau.

Margaret’s Place provides students with a safe room in school where they can meet with a professional counselor trained in domestic violence intervention and prevention. This counselor provides students with the opportunity to safely discuss issues of abuse that have been witnessed in the home or perpetrated through their own behavior.

The morning program also included a seminar on healthy relationships by national lecturer Jackson Katz, and a panel of experts spoke briefly about the services they offer to domestic violence victims.

Other county initiatives include recycling old cell phones for domestic violence victims, as well as training programs for police and healthcare workers. Polaroid cameras are also distributed to police and hospital workers so they can document injuries and use the evidence in court.
Pictured Above: Spano joins Torre and Alan Trager of Westchester Jewish Community Services in a Q&A about the new “safe rooms” program and domestic violence campaign.