Asian Women United partners in toy drive

MINNEAPOLIS (Dec. 2, 2015) — Asian Women United of MN (AWUM) is partnering with David Dumas, owner of Diamonds & Gold International, Inc. (www.dgintl.com) based in St. Louis Park, in holiday toy drive. Other women’s shelters participating include: Homefree, Eagle’s Nest, Casa de Esperanza, Hart House & Women’s Advocate. Toy drive will take place on Friday, Decc 11, 2015 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Mills Fleet Farm at 8400 Lakeland Ave. N., Brooklyn Park, MN.

In 1988 Dumas began an annual tradition of purchasing Christmas toys to donate to battered women’s shelters. Since then, his business clients have donated toys also to contribute to the tradition and effort.

Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women’s 2014 Annual Report states that more than 63,000 Minnesotans sought advocacy and services from domestic violence programs and 23 domestic violence homicides were recorded in 2014. According to a 2011 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence survey, one in four women (22.3 percent) have been the victim of severe physical violence by an intimate partner, while one in seven men (14.0 percent) have experienced the same. One in 15 children are exposed to intimate partner violence each year, and 90 percent of these children are eyewitnesses to this violence.

AWUM is a non-profit organization dedicated to end domestic violence by promoting safe & healthy relationships within the Asian-Pacific Islander community. For almost a decade, AWUM has provided 24-hour emergency shelter (House of Peace) and advocacy to women & children victimized by domestic violence in the Minneapolis/St. Paul & surrounding areas.

For information contact Nancy Wong at 612.724.0756 or email [email protected]. Visit AWUM at awum.org.