By: Ashley Gouveia
The shoebox project is a simple way that you can give back to the women experiencing homelessness in your community. To participate in this project, you must fill a shoebox with various items, such as: giftcards, health items and beauty products, to name a few.
“The Shoebox fundraiser is important because it gives women and their children some of the basic necessities they would have had to leave behind in their rush to get to safety,” said a survivor who relied on a women’s shelter.
A woman’s shelter is a place of temporary protection that women are able to find refuge in, due to escaping domestic violence and intimate partner violence of all forms. These shelters give women time to reflect and think about what they want to do with their life, and give these women time to heal. With the help of others in the community, these shelters donate tangible resources that these women can use, to help them and their families create a new life.
One of our own CtK staff has gone through this experience, and was forced to flee her abusive household and rely on a shelter. “I married someone that didn't trust me … and would emotionally abuse me. … I finally had enough and stood my ground only to find he went from intimidating behavior to physical abuse. He only had to assault me once for me to leave that relationship and flee to shelter.”
She found that the shelter was a safe place for her, as it provides counseling and support to those staying there with the goal of helping them get back on their feet.
This teacher also commented that, “ … the most profound experience at the shelter was the donation room Thursday's. Every woman was allowed to go into the donation room for 15 minutes and gather things they would need to start their lives over. It was like the whole community was helping me and my daughter get back on our feet.”
“When you flee from abuse you leave everything behind…” Millions of women everyday are fighting against domestic violence, it is therefore incredibly important that we, as a community, can give back and help these women struggling, and hopefully give them a brighter future.
Every single donation makes a difference, no matter how small. These women who have suffered a great deal and have lost so much, will feel supported, and know that they aren’t facing their future alone.
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