Media Contact: Lucie Fornasiero, EAFocus Communications; lucie@eafocus.com; 248.925.6726; Sara Dobbyn, Turning Point; sdobbyn@turningpointmacomb.org; 586.463.4430 x240

Mount Clemens, Mich. – December 6, 2022Turning Point, an agency whose mission is to empower domestic and sexual violence and human trafficking survivors through comprehensive services and resources, is pleased to be the recipient of the 2022 Impact100 Macomb County grant, totaling $111,000. The grant will further Turning Point’s efforts around education and support for intimate partner strangulation (IPS), an area that is severely lacking education and funding.

Every year, Impact100 Macomb County accepts applications for potential grant recipients, reviews applications and conducts site visits, then selects five finalists to present in person on award night. Members vote after the presentations and the winner is announced that night. Christina Boyland, Turning Point’s Administrator of Clinical Forensic Nursing Services, presented Turning Point’s final pitch at the award night to a group of 170 people, sharing a compelling presentation on intimate partner strangulation to win over the crowd.

“Intimate partner strangulation is such an important topic to discuss because it is a type of abuse in which the effects might not appear obvious to anyone, including the person who was strangled,” Boyland noted. “Even being in the medical profession, without forensic training, it’s very hard to identify, so the funds from Impact100 Macomb County are going to be monumental in terms of creating more awareness and education for citizens and providers alike.”

Non-fatal strangulation can cause serious negative health outcomes including carotid artery dissection, strokes, seizures, chronic headaches, memory issues, and personality changes, and the effects can happen within seconds. Experiencing non-fatal strangulation even once can increase the risk of intimate partner homicide by 750%. It’s an area that impacts many but is grossly underfunded and undereducated. Boyland added that the opportunity to present to a group that large on the topic has a huge impact in itself in terms of education on the topic.

Impact100 Macomb County is an organization of women whose mission is to improve their community by providing substantial grants to non-profit organizations in Macomb County. Pamela Braund, President of Impact100 Macomb County, presented the award to Turning Point.

“Every year we have amazing nonprofit organizations doing impactful work in our community present to our membership, and this year Turning Point’s project presentation touched our members and compelled them to vote for them as the grant recipient,” Braund remarked. “It is never an easy decision as there are so many great organizations impacting our community members and there is always a need for more support.”

Turning Point’s President and CEO, Sharman Davenport, Ph.D., is happy to receive the award.

“Not only is this the first time Turning Point has received a grant from Impact100 Macomb County, but it’s the first time we’ve received funds specifically allocated to intimate partner strangulation,” noted Davenport. “We are very excited to be able to expand our work in this important area.”

About Impact 100 Macomb County
Impact100 Macomb County is a nonprofit organization comprised of 100+ women, each donating $1,000 annually for a shared purpose: to make a difference in our community.  The entire $1,000 goes directly to fund high-impact grants.  The number and amount of grants are determined each year by the number of women who join Impact100 as members. The more members we have, the more grants we can give. Visit www.impact100macombcounty.org for more information.

About Turning Point 
Turning Point provides comprehensive, free, and confidential programs for domestic violence, sexual violence, and human trafficking survivors, their loved ones, and the community. Services include a 24-hour hotline, emergency shelter, housing, trauma advocacy/counseling, personal protection order assistance, legal advocacy, forensic nurse exams, first response advocacy, prevention, and community education. Second Hand Rose, another Turning Point service, provides survivors with gently used items while providing an opportunity for the community to donate and shop. Serving Metro Detroit for more than 42 years, Turning Point has helped over 125,000 survivors. Visit www.turningpointmacomb.org for more information.

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