Former NFL Player Helps Rockland Family Shelter Tackle Domestic Violence, Bullying

Rockland residents are invited to meet Joe Ehrman, former NFL defensive lineman for the Baltimore Colts as he visits the area to speak on “An Inside Out Safe School Approach for Coaches, Educators and Families”.

On Monday night November 14^th from 6:30 to 8:30 pm Tappan Zee (TZ) High School and Rockland Family Shelter (RFS) are hosting a workshop in the TZ auditorium on Dutch Hill Road in Orangeburg.

On Tuesday evening, November 15, Orange and Rockland Utilities joins RFS in sponsoring a two hour free workshop at North Rockland High School in the North Rockland auditorium at 106 Hammond Road in Thiells.

Both programs are free and open to the public.

Mr. Ehrman, the author of “InSide Out Coaching: How Sports Can Transform Lives,” espouses a philosophy that sees every person as a person of influence. Since his retirement from football Mr. Ehrman has been working with agencies such as RFS as well as entire communities to help create more respectful environments for youth, women and men. Instead of a football, Mr. Ehrman now tackles the tough subjects of domestic violence and bullying. His goal is to teach that by working together we can create and transform families, organizations and communities into safer places for all of us.

Joe Ehrman played with the Baltimore Colts for eight years and was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1978. He finished his NFL career with the Detroit Lions as part of their defensive line in the early 1980’s. The first NFL winner of the Ed Block Courage Award, he was featured on the cover of Parade magazine as “The Most Important Coach in America” because of his tireless efforts to transform the culture of sports by reframing and redefining the social responsibility of coaches, parents and players. For the past 20 years Mr. Ehrman has been addressing issues of poverty, racism, domestic violence, bullying and child abuse. He was selected as the Frederick Douglas National Man of the Year for empowering male youth and the institutions that serve them to work as allies with women in preventing rape and other forms of gender based violence.

Rockland Family Shelter, a community based non-profit organization provides free, confidential, residential and nonresidential services to victims and survivors of dating, domestic and sexual abuse and to victims of all violent crimes. Services include a 24 hour hotline, 845-634 3344, emergency residential shelter, advocacy, support and empowerment groups, legal services, information and referrals, children’s services and educational programs for schools, faith based organizations, private and nonprofit organizations. Many services are multi lingual. All are culturally sensitive and open to the LGBT community.

These innovative workshops are being made possible by the Rockland DELTA Project, Tappan Zee High School Athletics, Orange & Rockland Utilities and North Rockland High School.

For more information or to attend either program on November 14^th or 15^th please contact Nancy Donoghue at (845) 634 3391 or ndonoghue@rocklandfamilyshelter.org. For more information on RFS or to make a donation please call (845) 634 3391 or go to www.rocklandfamilyshelter.org.  If you or someone you know is being abused, you are not alone. Someone cares and can help. Call the 24 hour hotline at (845) 634 3344.