International womens week: Women's shelters

[Torrie]

Erin Pizzy is the woman who started the first battered woman’s shelter. In a small house in London she started accepting woman who, for one reason or another, were in need. Whether that need be shelter, food, clothes, help with children, or just open arms, she provided it all. Her mado is “To Love the unlovable.” But even she describes the situation all those years ago as “a nightmare that was to go on got the next twelve years.” (http://erinpizzey.com/index.html)

 

Since this time many shelters all over the world have been opened. While they were an oasis to battered woman, the public view on a battered woman was very negative. The term malmaritate was created because of these negative feelings. The meaning is unhappily married. If there were problems in a marriage it was the woman’s duty to correct it. This could include infidelities, waste, and violence by the man in the relationship.

 

The terrible truth is battered woman have been around since we learned to ball our hands into fists and use them as weapons. Men have, of course, played the biggest part in battering woman. We, as a people, have overcome this problem to an extent. There are an uncountable number of men who would step in if they saw a man beating a woman. I have the joy of knowing quite a few of them. The problem comes when what goes on, cannot be seen. This is when a woman needs to stand up for herself. Not necessarily physically, but mentally. A woman needs to have the strength to walk out, know she has somewhere to go, and someone who will support her. This is when a woman’s shelter comes into play. It is a safe haven for a woman who has been abused and her children. The shelter will help feed, clothe, educate and provide mental and physical support.

 

These shelters need our help. When these woman have the ability to stand up and say “I have had enough.” they need somewhere to go. Please consider donating to a local shelter in your area. Your donation does not need to be money, you can give clothes, food, blankets, anything you use every day could be used by woman in these shelters and any of it will be taken with gratitude and thankfulness.

 

 

Here is a list of shelters in the US : http://www.usattorneylegalservices.com/domestic-violence-shelters.html

 

List of shelters in the UK: http://www.shelter.org.uk/

 

Feel free to pick a shelter to donate to and then post about it here. We all need to give a little to make a lot after you have, come back and lets us cheer and celebrate with you!

[Onis OLeia]

Thanks for all the information and a good perspective on things. I'm one of those who has been in need of help from a women's shelter. This was many years back, but I still remember the brave and strong women who I met there. I'm not just talking about the women working there, but the women that lived there at the time.

 

We can't donate any money now, but we do contact the women's shelter in our area and ask if they need children's clothing when our kids outgrow their clothes.

[Torrie]

Good for you!

 

I have several bags of both kids and adult clothes, I am sending to a local shelter. Anything helps!

[Minuet]

I am part of a group who collects new toys and we give them to the local women's shelter at Christmas time.

 

Onis it is so nice to hear a personal story of strength. You had to have amazing strength to do what you did. You were brave to hun!

[Mystica]

agreed! Not to mention the courage it takes to stand up and speak up about it. It's always very interesting to come across the depths of strength hidden in silent pools isn't it?

 

I really do admire the people that work in these places. Especially those that do it out of the spotlights. And I think the help of those that actually went through it themselves at one time is even more valuable, as they more than anyone else can offer a kindred spirit feeling. For they 'know' what it's like, don't they? Not only must it feel much less pittyfull but also offer a real hope for those that have the battle of fighting out of that pit still ahead of them.

 

 

[Aust]

Here's a link for shelters across available across Canada, supported in multiple languages - great to use if you are interested in donating, or even just to have on-hand as an information resource.

 

http://www.shelternet.ca/splashPage.htm

 

Great thread - many of these organizations depend so much on the generosity of donations.

 

 

Happy Women's Week everyone :)

 

 

 

 

[Onis OLeia]

That silence so needs to be broken. This is why it must be talked about. Not everybody can do it due to their own safety of course, but there are those who can speak up.

 

I know that the International Womens week is over, but I wanted to say this anyways.