We the undersigned strongly supports the Men’s Education for Non-Violence and Abuse Workshop’s (M.E.N.’s) attempt to secure emergency funding so that our community can continue its collaborative efforts to eliminate domestic violence.  The M.E.N.’s Workshop plays a unique and vital role in this endeavor.  It is the only full time program in our 5 county area that works directly with male perpetrators of domestic violence and abuse.  The M.E.N.’s Workshop is a founding member of the Rochester/Monroe County Domestic Violence Consortium, and operates with our full endorsement.  If the program closes it will leave Rochester as the largest city in our state with out a full time program.

In addition to providing education to abusive men, the M.E.N.’s Workshop also provides community and professional education as well as support in the initiating and changing laws that further protect women and children in our community.  The workshop is the only batterers program that works directly with men around the issue of Respectful Fathering and Fathering After the Abuse.  Their 28 years of experience in the field of domestic violence prevention and education has specially prepared them to provide this information.  Ten of these years have been at Rochester Rehabilitation Center its current home.  They are the second oldest such program in the state.

Our community can depend on the correct non collusive information provided in their weekly classes for men and on their holding offenders accountable by providing timely attendance reports to the legal system.   Both are key elements in communities that succeed in reducing domestic violence.  Please do the right thing by providing support to this much needed program.