NORTHBROOK, Ill.,
June 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/
-- Allstate Foundation Purple Purse today
announced Serena Williams, tennis
champion, entrepreneur and philanthropist, will serve as the
program's new ambassador. In her role, Williams will raise
awareness of the often invisible role financial abuse plays in
keeping women trapped in abusive relationships and urge the public
to help break the cycle of domestic violence.
One in four1 American women will experience
domestic violence in her lifetime. While most people think only of
cuts and bruises when they think of domestic violence, 99
percent2 of all domestic violence cases involve
financial abuse. Financial abuse can include abusers preventing
victims from accessing money, ruining their credit and harassing
them at work so they lose their jobs.
"Standing up for women's rights has long been a passion of
mine," said Williams. "I am honored to join Allstate Foundation
Purple Purse to bring financial abuse and domestic violence out of
the shadows and into the public conversation. I hope people will
join the Purple Purse movement and work with us to end abuse
against women."
Nearly eight in 10 Americans (78 percent) are unaware that
financial abuse is a form of domestic violence.3 To
address this lack of awareness, The Allstate Foundation is
launching a new social experiment-based short film,
"Lost Purse."
The film provides a glimpse into the life of a domestic
violence victim through her lost purse. It shines a light on the
role financial abuse plays in keeping women trapped in domestic
violence situations and explores how people react when faced with
an opportunity to help a victim.
"Our purpose at Allstate is to help people
live their best lives, and that means continuing to raise awareness
of domestic violence and empowering survivors to regain their
financial independence," said Vicky
Dinges, Allstate's senior vice president
of corporate responsibility. "We are thrilled to
welcome Serena, a longtime advocate and role model for so many, to
the Purple Purse family. Her voice will bring new audiences into
this critical conversation. Domestic violence won't go away
on its own. We need everyone's voices – men's and women's – to
stand up to abusers and speak on behalf of victims because no woman
deserves to live in fear."
Since 2005, Allstate Foundation Purple Purse
has propelled more than 1 million survivors on the
road to safety and security through its educational resources,
including The Allstate Foundation Purple Purse Moving Ahead
curriculum, which equips survivors with the knowledge and tools to
recover from financial abuse.
To date, The Allstate Foundation has invested more than
$55 million to educate the public
about financial abuse and to provide critical survivor services,
including financial education, asset-building, job training and
readiness programs.
Visit PurplePurse.com to learn
more about domestic violence and financial abuse. Join The Allstate
Foundation Purple Purse movement to empower more survivors to break
free and stay free from violence.
For updates on this year's initiatives, follow
Serena Williams
(Facebook,
Twitter, Instagram)
and Purple Purse (Facebook,
Twitter) on social media.
If you or someone you know is in a domestic violence
situation, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at
1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or TTY 1-800-787-3224.
View "Lost Purse" film here:
https://youtu.be/Q3pUlXtNgU4.
About The Allstate Foundation
Established in 1952, The Allstate Foundation is an
independent, charitable organization made possible by subsidiaries
of The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL). Through partnerships with
nonprofit organizations across the country, The Allstate Foundation
brings the relationships, reputation and resources of Allstate to
support innovative and lasting solutions that enhance people's
well-being and prosperity. With a focus on building financial
independence for domestic violence survivors, empowering youth and
celebrating the charitable community involvement of Allstate agency
owners and employees, The Allstate Foundation works to bring out
the good in people's lives. For more information,
visit www.AllstateFoundation.org.
1 Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention; National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence
Survey: 2010 Summary Report; p.2;
http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/nisvs_report2010-a.pdf
2 Center for Financial Security;
Measuring the Effects of Domestic Violence on Women's
Financial Well-Being; p.1;
https://centerforfinancialsecurity.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/adams2011.pdf
3 Allstate Foundation and FTI
Consulting; Silent Weapon: Domestic Violence and Financial
Abuse; 2014.
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SOURCE Allstate Foundation Purple Purse