Verizon Wireless Mother's Day Concert To Support Mujeres' mission
Albamina Gomez
Published: April 22, 2010
Concert Will Benefit Mujeres Latinas en Acción and its Programs Against Domestic Violence
CHICAGO—The statistics are startling: One out of every three women will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime. A woman is beaten every 10-15 seconds. The effort to end violence against women is one that requires engagement from the entire community. Once again, thousands of Latinos are expected to join together on Saturday, May 8, at the Aragon Ballroom for the fifth annual Verizon Wireless Mother’s Day Concert to take a stand against violence against Latina women and celebrate healthy relationships. Yuridia and Graciela Beltran, two extraordinary Mexican singers, will take over the stage on May 8! All proceeds from ticket sales for the concert will be donated to Mujeres Latinas en Acción, a leading organization that helps empower Latina women and provides services to domestic violence survivors and their families.
To purchase tickets and for more information please visit www.mujereslatinasenaccion.org or call 773-890-7676
For the past four years, Chicagoland’s Latino families have come together to honor Latina women at the annual Verizon Wireless Mother’s Day Concert, an event that brings talented Latin artists to the Aragon Ballroom for an evening of entertainment and reflection on the widespread problem of domestic violence. This year’s event will focus on creating awareness of teen dating violence, and will encourage young Latinas to “Define True Love” and choose healthy dating relationships.
“Latina teens are at a real risk of engaging in dating relationships that are abusive and harmful,” said T.J. Fox-president, Illinois/Wisconsin Region, Verizon Wireless. “We partnered with domestic violence agencies to create an educational campaign—Define True Love—to communicate to teens that true love does not hurt. The Mother’s Day Concert provides an opportunity for parents and teens to come together for an evening of outstanding music and to start the critical dialogue about healthy dating relationships.”
Statistics show Latina teens between the ages of 16 and 19 have one of the highest rates of intimate partner violence in the United States. Approximately one in three adolescent girls in the United States is a victim of physical, emotional or verbal abuse from a dating partner.
“It can be a dangerous beginning to love when adolescents and teens are in abusive relationships. Young people should never accept violence from their partner. Outreach needs to be undertaken on a greater scale to prevent a potentially life-long cycle of relationship violence for our youth.” said Maria Pesqueria, CEO of Mujeres Latinas en Acción.
Verizon Wireless has a long history of supporting domestic violence awareness and prevention initiatives. The “Define True Love” campaign was created and sponsored by Verizon Wireless in partnership with numerous domestic violence agencies from the Midwest, including Mutual Ground of Aurora, Ill., as well as Mujeres Latinas en Acción. The campaign’s website, http://www.DefineTrueLove.com, available in both English and Spanish, explains that what some teens call true love is really abuse, and it encourages teens to reconsider how they define true love and healthy relationships.
The Define True Love campaign is a HopeLine® initiative. Through its HopeLine® phone recycling program, Verizon Wireless collects no-longer-used wireless phones and equipment from any wireless service provider. The phones are either refurbished or recycled. With the funds raised from the sale of the refurbished phones, the company donates cash grants, wireless phones and airtime to non-profit domestic violence agencies for use by survivors. Phones can be dropped off at Mujeres Latinas en Acción (2124 W. 21st Place, Chicago, IL 60608), at any Verizon Wireless Communications Store, or at the Verizon Wireless Mother’s Day Concert.
About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s most reliable and largest wireless voice and 3G data network, serving more than 91 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 83,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) and Vodafone (NASDAQ and LSE: VOD). For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.
About Mujeres Latina en Accion
Mujeres Latinas en Accion is a non-profit, community-based organization in Chicago, IL. Its mission is to empower their fellow Latinas by offering services that reflect their values and cultures and by advocating on issues that matter to Latinas. Started in 1973 in the Pilsen neighborhood, Mujeres was the first social service agency in Illinois run by Latinas that addressed the needs of Latinas. For more information, visit www.mujereslatinaenaccion.org
Posted in Community Organizations
