Women's Shelter Gets Flood Of Response After Ray Rice Video Released
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The Women's Center and Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh is sorting through thousands of emails, phone calls and social media postings.
CEO Shirl Regan says she's never seen anything like it in her 30 years of working with domestic abuse victims. She says the Ray Rice video and its aftermath have prompted many other victims to come forward.
"That was my first reaction. This is incredibly big," Regan told KDKA's Kym Gable.
"I started receiving emails from people saying 'I'm in the exact situation. I didn't know you were out there and I really need help,' and it was one right after the other," she added. "Mixed in with somebody saying 'Thank you for all you do. This is a really big moment.'"
Regan says she's using the publicity to raise awareness, hoping to educate the public on the services her organization, and others like it, can offer.
Regan worked with Pittsburgh Steeler William Gay on a PSA for the agency in which he talked about the death of his mother from domestic violence. Over the past few days, the staff has also talked to shelter residents about the Ray Rice video
Chris McAneny is a Child Advocate at the center.
"Seeing it nationalized and taken across from coast to coast was something, I think, that startled them in many ways because it often is behind closed doors," McAneny said.
"We're here to help support victims, but we're also here to tell batters where they can get support too, so anyone can step forward and say I need help," said Regan.
For more information, visit: http://www.wcspittsburgh.org.
The Center's toll-free hotline is 412-687-8005.
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