Tips for Financial Success & Domestic Violence Prevention Headline Clergy Breakfast

New York State Senator James Sanders Jr. hosted his monthly Community Clergy Breakfast on Friday, October 13, 2017 at Calvary Assembly of God in south Ozone Park where the topics were steps to achieving financial success and how to prevent domestic violence and assist victims. Some 80 clergy members and faith-based leaders of a variety of religious denominations attended the breakfast.
 
“We want to empower our community to start their own businesses and gain financial freedom,” Senator Sanders. “We also want to educate you about how to provide support and assistance to victims of domestic violence, because October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
 
Rick and Odessa Hopkins, best-selling authors of “Black Income Shifters” discussed topics like - Three Steps to Financial Success & Shift Your Mindset, Shift Your Income.  The duo broke down one’s financial journey into two parts – current lifestyle and future lifestyle. Ideally, one must earn enough to live comfortably during one’s working years, but have also have enough to retire some day without lowering one’s standard of living.
 
Achieving this goal depends on investments and the ability to acquire assets that can produce an income cycle that is generational. It is also important to know your enemy – those things that can prevent you from achieving your financial goals. They are high taxes, interest accumulated on debt, inflation, and a lack of financial education.
 
The Hopkins’ presentation centered on the “Three Steps to Financial Success.” They are Income Shifting (creating more cashflow from the money you already make), Sword and Shield (your job is your sword or primary source of income, so you have to learn to shield it and build wealth), and Credit Education (your credit score is now your most important metric so it is important to learn how to restore it). 
 
Other guest speakers at the breakfast were Tesa Arozqueta and Kevin Morris of the Mayor’s Office to Combat Domestic Violence. They shared statistics and educated clergy leaders on the best ways to counsel people who have been affected by domestic violence. In 2016, there were 38 intimate partner homicides and the NYPD responded to over 91,600 intimate partner related domestic incident reports, according to the OCDV.
 
In regards to helping a person experiencing abuse, Arozoqueta said a key element is to listen without passing judgement or giving advice. Another extremely important step is to avoid making victim-blaming statements such as, "Why do you stay with them?" "How could you love someone like that?" or "Why do you let them treat you like that?"
 
Victims can get receive information and services at the family Justice Center, learn about available programs on the OCDV website or call 311 to be connected to the New York City 24-hour Domestic Violence Hotline.
 
These clergy breakfasts, which are more like training sessions, are held by Senator Sanders every month, with a new topic each time, but always aimed at educating faith-based leaders and giving them the tools and information they need to help themselves and their congregations.