Homecrest Community Services brought more than 100 Bensonhurst residents together for a Safe · Seen · Strong (3S) community safety workshop at its Bensonhurst center on Sept. 24.
The 90-minute program, taught by William Kwok, Ed.D., was held in partnership with The Asian American Foundation, the NYC Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes and the Martial Arts Education Society. It offered interactive training on personal safety and bystander intervention for participants ranging in age from 14 to 96.
“This workshop is just the beginning,” said Wai Yee Chan, president and chief executive officer of Homecrest Community Services. “While we are proud to launch it here in Brooklyn, our vision is citywide."
Through the 3S initiative, the goal is to to support Asian communities across all five boroughs in the next few months so that every Asian community member can feel safe, seen and strong, Chan said.
"By equipping participants with both practical skills and the spirit of looking out for one another, we are building not only protection, but also mutual trust and solidarity," he added.
Residents applied various defense and safety strategies through case studies, reflection exercises and short drills, practicing how to set boundaries, create safe distractions, document incidents responsibly plus support others without unnecessary risk.
