October Marks Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Unity House’s Domestic Violence Services program has a full month of outreach and awareness events scheduled for October. These efforts not only bring attention to the issue of domestic violence (DV), but also offer a chance to highlight the community collaboration needed to address the issue of domestic violence in our community.
The highlight of the planned events will be on Wednesday, October 19th at the Domestic Violence Awareness Event and Art Show. Held at the Arts Center of the Capital Region in downtown Troy, this free event offers an opportunity to showcase artwork by survivors of domestic violence and to recognize two very special people: Theresa Weinman of Albany Medical College will receive the Volunteer Leadership Award and Barb Michalski of National Grid will receive the Coordinated Community Response Award.
Many thanks to Albany Medical Center for sponsoring Unity House’s Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
About the Honorees
Theresa Weinman is the administrative coordinator for the Department of Family & Community Medicine at Albany Medical College. She came to Albany Med 26 years ago, after serving on the staff of state Senator Donald Halperin of New York City when he was the ranking minority member of the Senate Finance Committee. In her role at Albany Med, Ms. Weinman arranges and coordinates many of the community service learning opportunities for medical students. Watching students and employees make a tradition of those initiatives coupled with her personal drive to make a difference for those on the fringes of society have motivated Ms. Weinman in her work. Recognizing her energy and empathy, Albany Med named her “Employee of the Year” in 2005. She serves on the board of directors of Engeye, Inc., a non-profit organization promoting health and education in Uganda that was established by an Albany Medical College graduate; as a volunteer for Family Promise of the Capital Region; and on the Church Leadership team of the Journey United Church of Christ in Glenmont. A native of Pittsfield, Mass., Ms. Weinman resides in Glenmont with her husband; they have two children.
Albany Medical Center, northeastern New York’s only academic health sciences center, is one of the largest private employers in the Capital Region. It incorporates the 734-bed Albany Medical Center Hospital, which offers the widest range of medical and surgical services in the region, and the Albany Medical College, which trains the next generation of doctors, scientists and other health care professionals, and also includes a biomedical research enterprise and the region’s largest physicians practice with more than 450 doctors. Albany Medical Center works with dozens of community partners to improve the region’s health and quality of life.
Barbara Michalski is the consumer advocate for National Grid. She started with National Grid, originally Niagara Mohawk, in 1983 as a meter reader. After working in various roles in the company, Ms. Michalski became the consumer advocate in 1999. Ms. Michalski assists low-income and special needs customers. She provides early intervention, information on a variety of assistance programs, crisis bill pay management, outreach, and education. Ms. Michalski also offers a variety of services to home-bound customers and provides presentations on energy saving tips, health and safety issues, payment options and preparation for power outages. Ms. Michalski has advocated for consumers in need and has worked within her organization for greater understanding of the needs of consumers facing challenges.
Ms. Michalski currently serves on the Albany County Disaster Response and Recovery Committee, the Community Investment Committee for the United Way and the Rensselaer County Long Term Care Council. A native of the Capital District, Ms. Michalski holds a degree in wildlife biology, and resides in Albany with her three dogs and two cats.
National Grid is an international energy delivery company based in the UK and northeastern US. In the US, National Grid delivers electricity to approximately 3.3 million customers in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Rhode Island, and manages the electricity network on Long Island. It is the largest distributor of natural gas in the northeastern US, serving approximately 3.4 million customers in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Rhode Island.