East Hampton, NY — The leader of Eastern Long Island’s only nonprofit domestic violence services organization will take his passion and hope to the streets of the East Hampton area during autumn’s first weekend, pledging to run 13.1 miles on September 26th in the Hamptons Marathon / Half-Marathon to raise awareness and funds for domestic violence prevention and assistance on the East End. “My intent is to draw community attention to the process of forward movement that is possible even during hard economic times,” says Jeffrey Friedman, 38, Executive Director of East Hampton-based The Retreat, Inc. “Much like running in a marathon, preventing and addressing devastating violence within households in our own Eastern Long Island communities requires visible action, motion, courage, and a confident commitment to take one concrete step at a time—steadily, and alongside others who share our vision.” Domestic and family violence includes physical abuse, emotional attacks, threatening actions and language, stalking, and sometimes deadly bodily harm. In addition to scarring children, and destroying families, domestic violence has been repeatedly cited as the leading cause of injury to women between the ages of 15 and 44 in the United States: more than car accidents, mugging, and rapes combined. Evidence-based services like those provided by The Retreat effectively reduce domestic violence and help local residents who have been threatened and/or hurt to achieve safety and independence. Friedman says his organization has seen an increase of 33.7% in requests for Retreat services during the past 12 months, much of it linked to the flagging economy which tends to spark domestic tension. At the same time, the agency has received large funding cuts across the board, including a complete loss of funds from the town of East Hampton. At one point this year, funds from individual donations were down 80% from the year before, the nonprofit reports. But hope abounds. “We have served this community consistently for more than 21 years,” says Friedman. “We will not let an economic downturn get in the way of our providing these critical services, which are needed now more than ever. We will put one foot in front of the other and move forward, together.” Friedman says that community residents and others can support his run and the cause by making donations through the “Give Now” button on the organization’s web site (www.TheRetreatInc.org) or by calling The Retreat at 631-329-4398.