Press Release
*Disclaimer: this is a fictional event with fabricated quotes.*
For Immediate Release
Fresh Start Women’s Foundation Partners with Mariska Hargitay’s Joyful Heart Foundation in Domestic Violence Education Initiative
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence and needs urgent help, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or text BEGIN to 88788.
PHOENIX, Oct. 8, 2025 — The Fresh Start Women’s Foundation of Phoenix and the Joyful Heart Foundation of Brooklyn announced their collaborative campaign, “United in Prevention,” to educate young women and their educators on the early signs of domestic violence. The two organizations will mobilize their teams of social workers and domestic violence experts to local high schools in each respective city to discuss the different types of domestic violence—physical, sexual, financial, verbal and emotional—and the resources available.
Led by each foundation’s founder, Pat Petzick from Fresh Start and actress Mariska Hargitay from Joyful Heart, the two discussed how widely domestic violence affects women in the U.S.
“85% of domestic violence victims are women and just about every 9 seconds, a woman in the U.S. experiences physical abuse,” Petznick stated. “In this collaborate effort, we seek to minimize these numbers through early education so that young women feel supported and courageous as they navigate through life.”
With Fresh Start in Phoenix and Joyful Heart in Brooklyn, the two foundations are aiming to initiate this program on both sides of the U.S. in hopes of spreading these measures to the surrounding states and ideally in all 50. With 1 in 4 women, over the age of 18, being affected, Fresh Start and the Joyful Heart aim to integrate this program through their social media accounts to extend this education to as many women throughout the country as possible.
“Domestic violence can happen to anyone, and most domestic violence incidents go unreported, Hargitay said. “Early invention and education are key and with the widely spread awareness we’re pushing, we hope to stop domestic violence before it even starts. By recognizing the signs, these young women will be more equipped to steer clear of any abuse.”
The campaign will begin at Central High School in Phoenix and Clara Barton High School in Brooklyn, N.Y, in January 2026. Each respective campaign will begin with seminars at seven high schools, complete with lectures and exercises, over the span of seven weeks. High school administrators in each state are encouraged to reach out to each foundation’s website under the “United in Prevention” tab to get added to the list of prospective schools.
The launch was accompanied by a community luncheon with a handbag raffle, including FENDI and PRADA handbags, and a raffle for a two-night stay at the CIVANA Wellness Resort and Spa. The luncheon raised $215,000 to be split between the two organizations to expand the United in Prevention initiative in the upcoming years. Community members are encouraged to donate to the campaign at freshstartwomen.org and joyfulheartfoundation.org.
Together, the Fresh Start Women’s Foundation and the Joyful Heart Foundation are proactively making strides to foster lasting change through widespread early engagement and awareness. Their joint effort enforces a nationwide call to inspire and support young women to stop abuse before it begins because domestic violence can happen to anyone.
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About Joyful Heart Foundation
The mission of the Joyful Heart Foundation is to transform society's response to sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse, support survivors' healing, and end this violence forever. The foundation's goal is not only to help survivors reclaim lives of hope, possibility and joy, but to build a better, more just, more compassionate world. To learn more, visit joyfulheartfoundation.org
About Fresh Start Women’s Foundation
Fresh Start’s mission is to provide access and resources that help women achieve self-sufficiency and use their strength to thrive. Our ultimate vision is to create unlimited opportunities for women. Over three decades, Fresh Start has supported more than 50,000 Arizona women, serving approximately 3,000 women each year. 86% are mothers, 60% are single mothers and 64% are women of color. Fresh Start offers focused programs, services, access to training and education, as well as employment and career services to help women reach their personal and professional goals. For more information, visit freshstartwomen.org or connect with us on Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn.