NFL Teams Up with National Domestic Violence Hotline
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JumpStock/iStockphoto/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — The National Domestic Violence Hotline announced Thursday that the NFL has, “committed to providing significant resources to the organization” in order to help women who have been abused by their boyfriends or husbands.
“We have never had the funding needed to meet the demand for our services from those seeking help with domestic violence and dating abuse. Last year, because of this lack of resources, more than 77,000 calls went unanswered. Recent domestic violence incidents involving NFL players pushed the capacity of our organization to unprecedented levels,” said Katie Ray-Jones, president and chief executive officer of the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
“Because of this long-term commitment by the NFL to provide The Hotline with much-needed resources, our services will finally be accessible to all those who need us when they bravely take the first step to find safety and live a life free of abuse.”
The move comes after the NFL has been hit with several high-profile cases of players arrested for domestic violence.
The group, who announced the agreement in a news release posted to its website, did not specify how much the NFL had given them.
The organization said that just days after the release of a video last week showing Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice punching his then-fiancé in an elevator, the Hotline’s call volume increased by 84 percent.
“Our decision to enter into a long-term partnership with the NFL will help us immediately increase our ability to hire additional advocates, improve our infrastructure and provide more education about domestic violence that affects one in four women and one in seven men in their lifetimes,” said Maury Lane, who chairs the board of the National Domestic Violence Hotline. “It is important that we answer their calls.”
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