My wife trains at and teaches at a Dojo dedicated to self-defense for women and LGBTQ individuals. The Dojo is called the Center for Anti-Violence Education (a great name and great idea)!
From their website:
The Center for Anti-Violence Education (CAE) develops and implements comprehensive violence prevention programs for individuals and organizations. Through a combination of education, physical empowerment, and leadership development, CAE provides underserved communities throughout the New York metropolitan area with skills to break cycles of violence.
At the moment they are less than half their fundraising goal of $50,000. I should emphasize that when there were a series of sexual assaults in Brooklyn, it was the Center for Anti-Violence Education that responded with free self-defense classes for ANY school or community center that wanted it. They worked with people like Christine Quinn (now running for mayor and not someone I generally agree with ) and City Councilman Brad Lander (who I know well!) to provide self-defense all over NYC at a time when women were being assaulted. They have become the go-to people in NYC when women or LGBTQ are threatened.
A video from a past year:
They rely on fundraising to help women and LGBTQ individuals get self-defense training even if they can't afford it. They will help anyone regardless of means, which means they need our help to keep going. They just had their big annual fundraiser, their "Punch-a-thon" where they do 10000 punches to raise money. Both Joy and Jacob did all 1000 punches and have a fundraising site to help the Center for Anti-Violence Education.
Please join me in donating to Joy and Jacob's fundraising site to help women and LGBTQ folks fight against violence.
For NYC folks more info below...
I should note that one of the issues highlighted at their event was ENDING the "Stop and Frisk" program. There is only one candidate for mayor who wants to do this: John Liu. All other candidates want to continue the Stop and Frisk program in some form.
Center for Anti-violence Education classes:
http://caeny.org/...
Other antiviolence organizations:
http://caeny.org/...
Safety Tips for everyone:
http://caeny.org/...
And again, PLEASE give to support this amazing organization:
http://cae.dojiggy.com/...