William Penn Life, 2002 (37. évfolyam, 1-11. szám)
2002-06-01 / 6. szám
Aiding Victims of Domestic Violence 20 ways to respond to domestic violence BATTERING IS THE SINGLE largest cause of injury to women in the United States, over mugging, automobile accidents and rape, combined. More than 50 percent of all women will experience some form of violence from their spouses during marriage. More than one-third are battered repeatedly every year. Domestic violence has been one of our nation's dark, hidden secrets. Fortunately, through the persistence and hard work of women's advocacy groups and law enforcement agencies, public awareness of this problem continues to rise and with it the amount of help available to the victims of domestic violence. Most communities now have agencies and shelters to aid these victims. Unfortunately, many of these shelters and agencies are understaffed and underfunded. They rely heavily on volunteers to provide the services many women and children so desperately need. There are many ways you and your Charity Links To learn more about domestic violence and how you can aid victims of domestic violence in your community, log onto the web site of the National Organizations for Woman at: O www.now.org/issues/violence/ You can also look in the “Guide to Human Services” (also called the “blue pages”) in your local phone book for the names and phone numbers of agencies serving your community. branch can help aid victims of domestic violence. Listed below are some ideas provided by the Multnomah County, Ore., Department of Community and Family Services, you may wish to consider. Support shelters & programs for victims and their children • Regular, consistent financial donations. • Food donations. • Donations of equipment, clothing, furniture, blankets, computers, etc. • Donations of meeting rooms, technical or professional services, etc. • Volunteer to assist shelter programs with answering crisis lines, working with survivors, raising funds, providing mentoring for survivors. • Volunteer to work during renovation, clean-up, mailings. • Write letters to city, county, state and national elected officials encouraging them to support funding for intervention in domestic violence and survivor services. • Write letters to the editor supporting services for survivors. Projects for individuals, groups or teams • Adopt-an-agency for a year: Provide donations of all kinds; put on a fundraising event; bring a group of friends / work associates together to form a work party for an agency. • Assist in providing meals or a celebration for those residing in a shelter or transitional housing, including children's birthday parties, holiday dinners, summer picnics. • Prepare starter kits for survivor—ask a shelter for exact contents of kit: Household kits (pots, pans, utensils, kitchen towels, broom, clock, etc.); Personal hygiene kits (soap, shampoo, bath towel, wash cloth, comb, toothbrush and paste); Bedding kits (sheets, pillows, blankets, bedspread); Children's kits (crayons or art supplies, pajamas, stuffed animal, toothbrush and paste); Employment kits (clock, appointment calendar, good work/ interview clothes); Winter kits (mittens or gloves, umbrella, hat, raincoat or warm coat). • Provide blankets or make quilts for shelter residents. • Share your skills through mentoring, tutoring, presenting workshops on parenting, computer use, employment, literacy or job skills. Community Projects • Advocacy, including writing letters, making phone calls to elected officials or funders for additional funding for shelter programs, finances for affordable housing, jobs, financial assistance, access to medical care. • Invite shelter representatives to speak to organizations you belong to. • Attend community forums, workshops or training on domestic violence. • Advocate for school-based prevention programs, such as No Punchin' Judy or Chance for Change and for assistance to children who live in homes where domestic violence occurs. • Make sure schools and other officials take dating violence seriously. • Advocate for appropriate services for underserved populations, such as those who speak Spanish or other non-English languages, are gangaffiliated or affected, or are disabled. • Work against sexism, racism and homophobia. |p[] William Penn Lite, June 2002 5
