Domestic Abuse Awareness Is Goal Of Fundraiser In Freehold Township

FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP, NJ — The Stephanie Nicole Parze Foundation was created in 2020 by the parents of the 25-year-old woman who died in 2019, a victim of domestic violence.

And her father, Ed Parze, said the work of the foundation has multiplied beyond anything he could have imagined at the time, with programs, donations and support services to victims of domestic abuse.

A Vendor Fair this Saturday, Aug. 20, at Freehold Raceway Mall will help the organization raise funds to continue its work, he said.

The Vendor Fair will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the parking lot across from Dick's Sporting Goods store at the mall. There will be more than 100 vendors on hand, Parze said. The event is taking place in partnership with the Vin Gopal Civic Association and Freehold Raceway Mall.

There will be food trucks where visitors can sample offerings from places such as Cousins Maine Lobster, Latin Bites, and Kona Ice and House of Cupcakes, among many others.

There is live music featuring the {MMA} Project at 10:30 a.m., Rockit Fish at 12:30 p.m. and Local Honey at 2:30 p.m.

There is a Cornhole Tournament at the start of the fair, at 9 .m., with sign-up at 8:30 a.m.

And local agencies such as the Freehold Township Police Department and the Freehold Independent Fire Co. ladder truck and the Freehold EMS will have information and displays. There is a bounce house and a firehouse slide.

The Monmouth County Sheriff's Department will have a K-9 demonstration, a Hope Truck and Ident-A-Kid services.

And all this goes to support the work of the foundation named in honor of the daughter he lost.

Stephanie Nicole had been missing since October 30, 2019, when she was headed to her grandmother's home after a night out with her family. Her body was found after 87 days and more than 60 searches by both volunteers and law enforcement. The Monmouth County Prosecutor at the time, Christopher Gramiccioni, said her ex-boyfriend killed her, and later admitted it in a note he left for his parents when he committed suicide.

From that tragedy came the Stephanie Nicole Parze Foundation, created, according to its website, to "provide education, intervention and support to families and individuals dealing with domestic violence, sexual abuse and missing loved ones."

She was "a beautiful, caring, 25-year old woman. . . a student athlete, a talented artist, and a compassionate, loyal friend to everyone she met," the site continues.

It notes that her parents learned through their experience "of the epidemic that is domestic violence firsthand."

According to estimates by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence and statistics of the FBI, approximately 16,441 individuals were victims of domestic violence homicides in the last 10 years. "Stephanie's life was cut short just shy of 26 years. She deserved better. All victims of domestic violence deserve better yet 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men experience domestic violence in their lifetime. This is a staggering statistic and we knew we could not stop after Stephanie was found. We hope through this foundation to help as many victims as we can have a chance to live the life they deserve," the website states.

In the last two and half years, Parze said the organization has made many strides to help victims:

• The organization will pay for six months to a year of service for an Angel Alert device that domestic abuse victims who have a restraining order or temporary order against someone can activate in an emergency to get immediate help if approached by the person. Six months is free, and the people using the alert devices will see if they are needed and the organization will pay for another six months of service, he said.
• Providing "care bags" for victims is another expanding area of support. Parze said the organization started out by providing 180 bags of essentials to victims served by 180 Turning Live Around in Monmouth County. Victims often leave their homes to flee an abuser with nothing - just the clothes they are wearing, he said. Now the program has grown to include Providence House in Ocean County and will soon expand to Middlesex County, he said.
• The organization also provides educational outreach to high schools, area colleges and other agencies, Parze said. The program involves telling his own story, then offering statistics and other information on the domestic abuse problem and then having a survivor speak.
• Support groups are another area the organization wants to further develop, primarily peer-to-peer counseling with a social worker involved, Parze said.

Parze said October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and many other programs are planned.

He said since becoming involved in the issue he has learned how insidious a problem it can be, especially when it comes to human trafficking. He wanted to advise the public that there is practice among those who target potentially trafficked people to place a clear zip-tie inconspicuously on their car door handle. Parze said that is a signal that the person is targeted and can be kidnapped. He emphasized how if anyone sees such a tie on their car to remove it immediately and alert authorities and alert authorities if you see one on someone else's car.