Signature Program: Domestic and Sexual Violence Awareness and Prevention

Signature Program: Domestic and Sexual Violence Awareness and Prevention

Keep Our Girls Safe at College

GFWC California – GFWC Oak View Women’s Club

Safety kits for High School seniors leaving for college. The college safety kits included personal alarms and door and window alarms for dorm room personal safety, and two pamphlets were included in each kit: one with teen dating and the second with the CFWC College Safety pamphlet. Everything was placed in a clear plastic zippered bag. Over two hundred kits were distributed to college freshman students at several local Universities. The Club also used social media, bulletin boards, word-of-mouth, and all they could think of to get the kits to their local seniors heading to college.

 

Flashlights for Domestic Violence Victims

GFWC Delaware – GFWC Past Presidents Club

This project collects and distributes small flashlights to shelters and organizations that work with victims of Domestic Violence, including Human Trafficking. When the victims decide to escape their circumstances, it is often in the middle of the night, and they leave quickly and with no time to pack items. Small flashlights can easily fit in your pocket. The flashlight allows a person to see hazards and street signs. The flashlights were donated to three nonprofit organizations in the county.

 

Movie Night

GFWC Florida – GFWC Lake Shore Woman’s Club

Movie night with popcorn? Sounds great, doesn’t it? However, this club’s choice of movies depicted domestic violence in many areas. Movies shown were, The Guardians (systemic abuse of the elderly), Sleeping with the Enemy (spousal abuse), Gaslight (spousal abuse), The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (nanny abuse), and Monster-in-Law (mother-in-law abuse), After watching these, a booklet depicting the symptoms of domestic violence and sexual assault was developed and distributed so that attendees could recognize who may be a victim and provide ideas for action for those in need.

 

Red Rover Program

GFWC Florida – GFWC Rotonda West Women’s Club

The club showed great creativity by embracing the Ralston Purple Leash Program, discovered by a sister program called Red Rover Program. Domestic violence victims often do not leave their homes due to pets in the house. The objective of this club was to aid families in moving forward to safety. Rotonda West negotiated a partnership between Suncoast Humane and the Englewood Animal Rescue Sanctuary to assist Suncoast Humane with a temporary shelter for small pets such as cats, rabbits, and hamsters. They were able to support donations to Suncoast Humane and E.A.R.S. for support of the Red Rover Program by sponsoring the 2022 Furry Scurry in February.

 

Angel Shot Posters

GFWC Illinois – GFWC Morris Woman’s Club

Members contacted every restaurant and bar in the area that sells liquor to patrons to offer them “Angel Shot” poster(s) to put in their women’s restrooms. The posters alert women who need help due to abuse or unwanted advances that there is help available for them with instructions to go to the server/bartender and ask for an angel shot neat (Needs an escort to their car), angel shot dressed (call an Uber or Lift), or angel shot with lime, (call the police). The posters were printed on card stock, and laminated. Cheat sheets were made with the shot types and meanings to go behind the bar as a reference for the servers/bartenders.

 

Wear a Pair, Bring a Pair

GFWC Maine – GFWC Semper Fidelis

This project collaborated with Skowhegan Main Street’s weekend-long “Sko- Who ville” holiday celebration. The public event was held at a popular local wine bar, and it was requested that attendees come wearing their pajamas and bring a children’s pair, along with a stuffed animal to donate to the local Family Violence Shelter. With the generosity of their community, GFWC Semper Fidelis collected 104 pairs of children’s pajamas, five pairs of adult pajamas, ten pairs of warm fuzzy socks, and thirty-two stuffed animals. And Tips! – totaling $200.

 

The Ornament Project

GFWC New Mexico – GFWC Progress Club of Las Cruces

The Ornament Project, on behalf of La Casa, Inc., their local Domestic Violence shelter, not only raised $2,875 but also reflected almost two hundred volunteer hours alone. The members designed and created ornaments to coincide with 125 mystery envelopes for the three-day-long 31st Annual La Casa Holiday Bazaar. The ornaments were sold with mystery envelopes containing gift certificates to vendors of the event as well as local establishments. The GFWC Progress Club of Las Cruces has been participating in this project and hosting the Santa Surprise booth for over ten years, and it has become a club-wide tradition to participate in the Bazaar.

 

Fill the Cracks with Hope

GFWC Pennsylvania – GFWC Town and Country Woman’s Club

In January, members were given a zip-lock baggie filled with red sand. Four members took the bags outside and filled cracks in the sidewalk, so no men, women, or children could fall through the cracks into human trafficking. Part 2 of this project was called “Red Sand Day” and involved filling the cracks in three separate neighborhoods.

 

PJ & Pearls Brunch

GFWC South Carolina – GFWC Woman’s Society of Batesburg-Leesville

Members invited their family and friends to a beautifully prepared brunch. Attendees were encouraged to wear their PJs & Pearls. The Brunch included music and an inspirational program. The representative and guest speaker were from the local Children’s Advocacy Center and was presented with a check from the proceeds.

 

Put a Nail in It

GFWC Tennessee – GFWC Women’s Club of Hendersonville

During Domestic Violence Awareness Month, GFWC Women’s Club of Hendersonville members were encouraged to wear purple and to paint a nail purple. When asked by friends why they have one nail painted purple, members could share about the impact of domestic violence and increase awareness of this problem in their community.