Being Brave 2021 to Honor Tony Award-Winner Melba Moore and Celebrate How Survivors of Domestic Violence and Service Organizations are Rebuilding Lives and Families

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J., July 27, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Being Brave: An Evening Honoring Survivors, will be held on Saturday, October 30, 2021, 7 pm, at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center. In-person and virtual tickets are now on sale. This third-annual event will feature live music by renowned artists, empowering spoken-word moments by NJ notables, #TheManStand against domestic violence, the premiere performance of a new graphic novel and a showcase of inspirational art, all while celebrating NJ heroes. The event will benefit Town Clock Community Development Corporation (TCCDC), a New Brunswick nonprofit that manages Dina's Dwellings and The Barbara Littman House, unique facilities that provide permanent, affordable, safe housing and supportive services for survivors of domestic violence and their children.

Spreading Our Wings

"One of our residents inspired this year's theme – Spreading Our Wings," says Reverend Susan Kramer-Mills, TCCDC's executive director. "When this resident first came to live with us, she was very fearful. Now our resident says 'Living here has given me wings. I have grown as a human being and learned to love myself again. I also learned to never give up, we can overcome … domestic violence. Dina's Dwellings is an opportunity that gives us wings; and once we get our wings, we are ready to fly on our own.'"

"This is the heart of what we do. Spreading Our Wings represents both the empowerment of domestic violence survivors who are rebuilding their lives, as well as the expansion of Town Clock CDC," explains Rev. Kramer-Mills. "Our long-term goal is to scale our unique model, teaching other organizations in every state how to build facilities that provide permanent housing and supportive services."

2021 Being Brave Award

Award-winning entertainer Melba Moore will receive the 2021 Being Brave Award for her advocacy on behalf of women, like herself, who have experienced sexual violence.

Tony Award-winner Melba Moore is a multifaceted entertainer and R&B legend whose career includes four Grammy nominations, television shows and movies. Moore was sexually abused as a child and experienced domestic violence as an adult. A deeply spiritual person, Moore is dedicated to community service and helping others. She is especially passionate about organizations that help people struggling with domestic violence, homelessness and hunger. "I've experienced many different kinds of abuse during my life, but by helping others, I've learned to help myself," says Moore.

In addition, three 2021 Community Awards for Being Brave will be presented.

The Outstanding Provider Award is given to an individual or group who provides emergency services to survivors of domestic violence. Safe+Sound Somerset will be honored for its work on the front lines through the pandemic, supporting an increasing number of victims of domestic violence and providing them with critically needed services.

The Outstanding Volunteer Award is given to an individual or group who is a driving force in volunteering and/or philanthropy. United Methodist Church of New Brunswick will be honored for its ministry to feed the hungry, whose numbers grew during the pandemic. They also provided meals to domestic violence survivors and their children, who reside at Town Clock Community Development Corporation.

The Outstanding Advocate Award is given typically to an individual or group who challenges perceptions and educates the public about domestic violence. In response to the challenge of educating students during the pandemic, Gisela Ciancia, Roosevelt School Principal, New Brunswick, will be honored for helping Town Clock children, all of whom experienced domestic violence. Principal Ciancia will receive this honor in recognition of all educators who help the 1 in 15 children exposed to domestic violence each year.

Bert Baron to Host Being Brave 2021

A New Jersey native and lifelong resident, Bert Baron is a New Jersey Broadcasters Association Radio Hall of Fame Inductee & award-winning writer, producer, and podcaster. Over a career that spanned more than 20 years in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania radio, Bert has garnered a nomination for a prestigious Marconi Award from the National Association of Broadcasters, as well as winning more than a dozen JERSEY Awards from the New Jersey Advertising Club, highlighted by his being honored as "Best of Radio" in 2016. In July of 2019, Bert began serving as the Public Information Officer for the City of New Brunswick.

For a list of performers and to purchase tickets, visit http://www.townclockcdc.org/being-brave.

Town Clock CDC – 1 of 40 in US
Town Clock Community Development Corporation is a nonprofit, 501(c)3 organization (http://www.TownClockCDC.org). Town Clock CDC's main facility – Dina's Dwellings – opened in April 2016 after the sanctuary of the 200-year-old First Reformed Church of New Brunswick was transformed into 10 long-term affordable housing units with supportive services for survivors. In October 2020, Town Clock CDC expanded its facility by transforming the church's sexton house into a home for a mother and up to five children. This housing model is one of only 40 establishments of its kind in the entire United States, and remains the largest permanent housing program for survivors of domestic violence and their children in New Jersey. In 2019, Town Clock CDC launched the Being Brave Event & Award.

Domestic Violence
According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, domestic violence is a pattern of behaviors used by one partner to maintain power and control over another partner in an intimate relationship. It can include physical and sexual violence, psychological abuse and financial control. The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence finds that 57% of homeless women cite domestic violence as cause of their homelessness, and 33% of women have experienced domestic violence in their lifetime. The Childhood Domestic Violence Association cites that children who experience domestic violence are six times more likely to commit suicide, 50% more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol, 74% more likely to commit a violent crime and three times more likely to repeat the cycle of abuse in adulthood.

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Media Contact

Susan Kramer Mills, Town Clock Community Development Corporation, +1 (732) 993-1345, [email protected]

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SOURCE Town Clock Community Development Corporation

Related Links

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