At Cherry Hill City Council’s final meeting of 2024 on Monday, a resolution was introduced to renew the partnership between Cherry Hill Township and Haddonfield Borough to help domestic violence victims.
The partnership – called Side by Side – has been in place since 2004, and its annual renewal is standard practice for Cherry Hill Township, which pioneered it in 1998, according to Side by Side Coordinator Beth Hastings.
“This is something they do every year to renew the program,” Hastings said in a phone interview. “Working with Haddonfield has been amazing.”
The Dec. 30 City Council agenda included:
“Resolution 2024-12-32 – Authorizing Cherry Hill Township to enter into a shared services agreement with Haddonfield Borough to provide domestic violence counseling services.”
According to those on the front lines of domestic violence in Camden County, Side by Side has filled a growing need.
“Cases are on the rise countywide since COVID – affirming the need to continue partnerships like the one between Cherry Hill and Haddonfield,” said Sontay Spence, Director of the Camden County Domestic Violence Center, which works closely with Cherry Hill Township’s Domestic Violence Response Team (DVRT), where the Side by Side program falls under.
“DVRT has been around a long time and it’s deeply needed,” said Spence. “All DVRT members are volunteers and are very committed.”
Spence said the global pandemic “had a major impact on domestic violence.”
“With sheltering in place, victims were afraid to come out of their homes,” Spence said. “They became even more isolated.
“Confidential phone conversations were all we had,” added Spence. “COVID cut off our outreach efforts. When COVID (restrictions) were lifted, we were ready to go back out there.”
Side by Side works with the Cherry Hill and Haddonfield Police departments and the Camden County Women’s Center to provide victims of domestic violence information on community resources, as well as safety planning and legal options after sharing their emotional responses to their individual crises.
Hastings, who got the job of Side by Side coordinator in 2004, said each DVRT volunteer goes through a rigorous screening process, followed by 40 hours of intense training to properly interact with domestic violence victims.
Hastings said Side by Side has been imperative in strengthening and diversifying victims’ support systems.
At the close of Monday’s Council meeting, Councilwoman Sangeeta Doshi, a former member of the DVRT, said the program deserved the township’s continued support.
“I want to highlight a few resolutions including Resolution 2024-12-32, which is for our Side by Side service, which a lot of people don’t know about,” Doshi said.
“I worked for this domestic violence group with Cherry Hill and its partner Haddonfield. I’m grateful that as a township we can support these incentives where we can,” added Doshi.
Side by Side urges anyone who knows a victim of abuse in immediate danger to please call 9-1-1.
