Stephanie Abrams Receives 'Certificate of Recognition' From City of Los Angeles

The City of Los Angeles bestowed a special award and recognition for 'tireless dedication to our community' on Stephanie Abrams this week during ceremonies at the Safe Passage 13th Annual Fundraiser to raise support for their efforts to break the cycle of domestic violence in the city. The award was presented by Founder of Safe Passage Trish Steele and signed by Los Angeles City Controller Wendy Greuel.

Abrams is a founding partner of AH! Media Solutions, a former reporter for CBS and a longstanding supporter of Safe Passage.

"My association with Safe Passage was not really a matter of choice, it was a matter of fate," says Abrams, "I was researching a story on women's shelters and made a random call to Safe Passage. Founder Trish Steele told me how they were helping women and families suffering from abuse. They had medical services, from surgery for their teeth, their face, stomach tucks, new homes, new furniture, job training, new wardrobes, make up lessons, hair services.. the works. This wasn't a temporary solution for these women and their families, it was a true transformation. She didn't become a part of that story, but she became a part of my life."

Abrams did follow with a story featuring Safe Passage on the 11 o'clock news, which began a three year association with the charity. Her work has included hosting and supporting a number of fundraisers and events. One of those events included a moving speech by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, where he described growing up as a victim of domestic abuse. A broadcast interview followed in which the Mayor shared his story in detail for the first time, and explained why his childhood experience led him to develop a strong domestic violence response and prevention program for the city.

"When I first discovered Safe Passage I was overwhelmed by the empowering stories of survival, and the transformations I witnessed in these women and their families, " says Abrams.

Olivia Campos-Bergeron Director of Community Relations for CBS, who was receiving a special award for the station, shared praise for Abrams' involvement, "We wouldn't be here, and we wouldn't know about this wonderful Charity if it wasn't for Stephanie Abrams."

ABOUT SAFE PASSAGE
Safe Passage was founded in 2000 to transform the lives of women and their families and to help break the cycle of domestic violence. More than 1500 women and children have been supported by Safe Passage. It takes approximately $3500 dollars to put each victim through the program.

Safe Passage provides hope, opportunity and empowerment to abused women and their children, leading them to a new and better life. Services include health and nutrition classes, counseling, medical checkups, reconstructive surgery, self defense classes, job and computer training, transportation, activities and mentorships for children, beauty counseling, and residential guidance and supplies.

The Los Angeles Police Department recorded 10,282 domestic violence crimes reported in 2011. Studies show reports reflect less than half of the actual assaults. In the US, one in four women has experienced domestic violence in her lifetime. On average, more than three women and one man are murdered by their intimate partners in this country every day. Between 3.3 and 10 million children witness some form of domestic violence annually.


ABOUT STEPHANIE ABRAMS
A founding partner in AH! Media Solutions, Stephanie is a former CBS reporter, anchor and the first Social Media Director for a major urban school district. At the Los Angeles Unified School District she was responsible for communicating through social media to 65,000 employees and nearly one million students and their families from early education through adult education at the Los Angeles Unified School District. She became known for bridging the gap between hundreds of offices and stakeholders within the LAUSD by building and training a team across the District committed to transparency and engagement through various social media sites. She also developed a weekly news update broadcast on YouTube and PBS.

Her work in social media and public relations follows an 18-year career in journalism as a major market reporter and anchor. Her most recent television news work was at CBS in Los Angeles where she became known for her on-the-scene work in breaking news situations and for her feature and exclusive stories. Before moving home to Los Angeles she worked as a technology reporter in Philadelphia, where many of her stories were shared nationally.