The young female founder, Bianca DiMitri started this group as nothing more then a concept she invented in order to cope with some of her personal issues with healing after a very violent and traumatic run-in with long time boyfriend, Joe. DiMitri was a writing intern at a women's center in CSI CUNY and called a CLUE event to the students, offering a judgement free zone for other victims to discus
s their experiences with intimate partner abuse. First two meetings were grim, became apparent the term "domestic violence" was not very popular and still unclear to many young onlookers. DiMitri called her local paper, Staten Island Advance, and on May 08, 2008 her story appeared on the cover of that Sunday edition written well by reporter Deborah Young. The following meetings filled the small school room, the traffic her meetings invited became an insurance scare for the college since so many attendees were frequenting this weekly group. She established a different style of a meeting, where no pressure is ever forced, no professionals present, basically just a place to talk and share experiences. She quickly evolved her meetings into a new program trying new factors that had never been attempted before like a buddy system between each survivor and victim, monthly speakers to teach valuable lessons, she added to her program almost monthly by evaluating what the members needed, and trying hard to provide those things. After applying for official non-profit and eventually 501c3 status she dedicated half of her time to the survivors, and joined them in their courageous missions to reclaim their identities and creatively express themselves. Bianca started interviewing every celebrity, politician, survivor, etc she came in contact with, as well as her public events. Although she couldn't gather enough funds to get all the footage edited, she did however provide computers, emergency funds & clothing to her beloved members, went on to create a 15 step program, an official website, and began a movement that Staten Island would be forced to deal with. Exposing injustice, encouraging evolution in this terrible cause, and supporting original creative expression that may help others in the future.
