Bed Stuy Celebrates Mother’s Day at the Spa with Victims of Domestic Violence

This Saturday the Bed Stuy community is honoring victims of domestic violence by offering a free spa day. At least 20 women from the Urban Resource Institute, Safe Horizon, and Volunteers of America will receive a makeover and massage at The Bishop, at 916 Bedford Ave. from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event, “A Gift from Him to Her,” aims to get men involved in the fight against domestic violence.

Jericho Road, an organization that hosts workshops to educate men and raise awareness about domestic violence, is hosting the Mother’s Day festivity.

Of the population of domestic violence victims in the United States, 85 percent are female and 15 percent are male.

But Carl Joseph, program director at Jericho road, said the issue shouldn’t just be a women’s concern.

“It’s [domestic violence] really a men’s issue, not a women’s issue,” Joseph said.

Because men more commonly victimize women, they should help change these statistics for the future.

Brooklyn has the highest rate of reported domestic violence incidences of all the city’s boroughs, statistics show. In 2013, three of the eight neighborhoods in the city that make up almost 25 percent of all family-related homicides were Brooklyn neighborhoods, including Brownsville, Crown Heights, and Bed Stuy, according to the New York City Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee.

Bed Stuy is aiming to combat domestic violence further with its new 23-unit affordable housing complex, Bainbridge Manor, at 291 Bainbridge St., which opened in late April.

"We believe that secure housing is the only way to guarantee the long-term safety and stability of families and individuals at risk of homelessness and domestic violence," said Carol Corden, executive director of New Destiny Housing.

Antonio Bascom, son of domestic violence victim and Jericho Road founder Elena Bascom, who helped plan Saturday’s event, said, “You can't feel comfortable in your environment if you're not comfortable at home.”