New York, NY – July 2, 2018 – Urban Resource Institute (URI), a leading provider of domestic violence programs and services in New York City, and the Center Against Domestic Violence (CADV), an organization working toward a society free of violence and abuse, today announced the completion of an organizational merger. All staff, programming, and licensing will be held under URI, and by the fall of 2018 the new combined organization will have the capacity to shelter more than 1,000 individuals, including survivors – women, children and men – by the Fall of 2018 making URI the largest provider of domestic violence shelter services in the country.
“URI and CADV have long been working alongside each other with aligned missions to prevent, respond to, and end domestic violence while empowering survivors healing from abuse to live the safest and fullest lives possible,” said Nathaniel Fields, president and CEO of Urban Resource Institute and Center Against Domestic Violence. “By joining together in both name and practice, we are a stronger and more effective force in supporting and serving New York City’s most vulnerable populations – homeless families and people with developmental and intellectual disabilities. We are excited to continue this critical work with expanded resources and expertise that will allow us to reach even more survivors in innovative ways.”
The unified organization will benefit from nearly 80 years of combined experience, shared best practices, and an even more comprehensive portfolio of services, strengthening and broadening URI’s capabilities and impact. URI programs like PALS (People and Animals Living Safely), the only program in New York City that allows co-living apartments for survivors of domestic violence and their pets, and WIN (the Working Internship Network), which provides financial literacy skills and job training opportunities for survivors in shelter, will continue to operate alongside groundbreaking initiatives introduced by CADV, such as RAPP (Relationship Abuse Prevention Program), which educates tens of thousands of high school students year-round about relationship abuse, sexual harassment, and building healthy relationships.
“CADV’s affiliation with URI will directly benefit those who depend on our life-saving shelters and programs,” said Judith Kahan, former CEO of the Center Against Domestic Violence. “Collectively, we can broaden our reach and improve access to an even larger network of transformative services.”
URI assumed management responsibilities of CADV on July 1st, 2017 with Nathaniel Fields as CEO, and has since completed a diligence and policy standardization process leading up to the official merger date of July 1st, 2018. The structures of each organization’s domestic violence shelters and programming are remaining unchanged to ensure that clients are not disrupted in any way.
Board leadership will represent the best interests of the merged organization and continue to provide guidance on the organization’s priorities, growth, and initiatives.
“Our affiliation with URI will protect CADV’s long and proud history as the first provider of domestic violence shelter in New York State,” said Alan Kolod, Former Chair of CADV and member of the Board of Trustees at URI. “Together, we will be able to pursue our joint missions with even greater effectiveness.”
About Urban Resource Institute
Urban Resource Institute (URI) is a leading non-profit organization that provides comprehensive, holistic, and supportive social services that aid and empower New Yorkers in times of crisis. URI’s programs provide care for survivors of domestic violence, individuals with developmental disabilities, homeless families, and other at-risk populations, allowing them to live in safety and recover from trauma in both residential and non-residential settings. With deep community relationships and a flexible, innovative approach to program development and service delivery, URI is uniquely equipped to provide solutions to the challenges affecting New York City’s most vulnerable populations. URI merged with the Center Against Domestic Violence in 2018, the first licensed provider of domestic violence shelter in New York. With nearly 80 years of combined experience, the organization will be the largest provider of domestic violence residential services in the country, with the ability to shelter over 1,000 individuals, including survivors and their families, on any given day. For more information, please visit www.urinyc.org.
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