Cinnaminson Police Chief Appointed To Contact Board Of Trustees

CINNAMINSON, NJ — Cinnaminson Police Chief Richard Calabrese has been appointed to Contact of Burlington County’s Board of Trustees, which will hold a virtual “Quiz for a Cause” event Friday night.

“I am excited to be working with this organization,” Calabrese said in a social media post announcing his appointment and sharing information about the virtual event. “As a member of law enforcement and now of Contact’s Board of Trustees, I have seen firsthand how their work changes the lives of the people they help. Over the years, Contact’s team has worked tirelessly to ensure that all people in need of emotional support have a place to call free of charge and confidentially, lent support and resources to countless individuals looking to help their loved ones in distress, responded in person 24/7/365 to sexual assault survivors to make sure they have victim centered support for the duration of the reporting process, provided free counseling to survivors and their loved ones, and offered several free training curriculums to the community.”

Contact has served Burlington County with its Crisis Helpline since 1972, according to its website. It serves the most vulnerable members of the community, from the elementary school child to the frail elderly, and those who fall in between.

Contact is nationally accredited and part of a network of crisis centers and rape care centers across the country. Its volunteers are trained under national and state core competencies and ongoing education is a requirement. It is the designated Burlington County provider for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (Lifeline) and the Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network (RAINN). Its Crisis Helpline can be reached at 856-600-4800.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all of us, but it has left the people Contact serves particularly vulnerable,” Calabrese said. “As a result, the agency is working harder than ever to ensure that they can continue to provide the critical services and resources they offer.”

One in four women and one in 10 men are victims of intimate partner violence, according to a study conducted by the New England Journal of Medicine. The study found that contributing factors to this type of abuse include economic instability, unsafe housing, neighborhood violence, and lack of safe and stable child care and social support.

Economic independence plays a role, and that has taken a hit with the number of jobs lost amid the coronavirus pandemic. Remote learning and the way police file reports are also contributing factors.

A study by Frontiers concluded that policies surrounding quarantining should be re-examined, and victims need greater access to support networks.

Funding is a critical part of greater access to services. Contact’s Quiz for a Cause is one way the nonprofit is raising awareness and funding. It takes place at 7:30 p.m. Friday night.

Participants will play four rounds of trivia, conducted by a professional virtual host, from home on any device. Teams of up to five people can play together from multiple locations and answers can be discussed in their own personal meeting room. All members of first and second place teams win gift cards. Mulligans can be purchased to cancel out one incorrect answer per round.

Sponsorships are also available for purchase in multiple categories that provide exposure, including company logos appearing during questions and round breaks and spoken announcements from the host/MC.

Tickets are between $25 and $100, and all proceeds benefit Contact and the community they serve. To register to participate or to be a sponsor, visit eventbrite.com.

This story is part of Patch's Headlining Hope series, which profiles local nonprofits and charitable organizations in need of volunteers and resources. If you know of a local organization that should be profiled, contact Anthony.Bellano@patch.com.