Lend a hand to victims of domestic violence....

One out of three women worldwide will be physically, sexually, or otherwise abused during her lifetime with rates as high as 70% in some countries, says WomenThrive.org. Threats of physical or sexual abuse are also a form of intimate partner abuse. Often cruelty begins with emotional manipulation and escalates to physical or sexual abuse. Unfortunately, many women stay in abusive relationships out of fear of not being able to make it on their own. This is because many abused women do not work and have little access to the finances.

Women in this situation often have nowhere to turn. Organizations like Family Abuse Services of Alamance County strive to erase domestic violence through advocacy, shelter, education, and support and many are funded solely by the state. This under-funding keeps shelters from being able to afford personal necessities for women and their children.

In November of last year I led a care package drive where our community collected toiletries like shampoos, deodorant, and other personal care items for women who were living in the organization’s shelter, appropriately named “Our Sister’s House”. We also collected books, art supplies, and toys for their children. We also held other drives where we collected household supplies, magazines, and clothing for the shelter in addition to a toy drive for the children at Christmas.

Many women have to leave a violent situation without much preparation, little or no money-- basically with as little as what they are wearing on their backs. These care packages help give the women personal care items they need and also gives children activities to help take their mind off the frightening situation. The items for the shelter also saved the organization money and afforded them the opportunity to use that money in other ways and hopefully help more women and children. The toy drive offered the mother’s the opportunity to provide gifts during the holidays for their children that they otherwise would not have gotten.

Domestic violence takes many different forms; however, control through fear and intimidation is usually the goal of the abuser. Our goal should be to help prevent this violence. Numerous organizations offer programs to help stop violence and it should be the priority of our communities to back them through volunteering and support.By: Alaina Dean via Diving Caroline