SHAAUW Domestic Violence Prevention Service Committee

2019

Through the good work of our Domestic Violence Committee new flooring for the Domestic Violence Coalition Office in Paw Paw has been donated to them by The Carpet Shop of South Haven. This office has not had new flooring since 1969. This will greatly improve the atmosphere for the employees and for the men and women who are under great stress when they visit this office. 

Some of our members visited the office while working on a project and saw the condition and realized something must be done. We talked to a board member of the Coalition who explained the owner of the building was giving them such a discount on their rent that they could not request anything else. 

We hope next time you need flooring you will use the Carpet Shop of South Haven and Inspired Floors of Benton Harbor and personally thank them for their good work. Working together makes our community even better 

2018

Domestic Violence Prevention Service Committee

The Domestic Violence Coalition keeps a pantry to fill emergency needs.  Our South Haven AAUW  Domestic Violence Prevention Committee participated in a pilot project, collecting 6 large boxes of diapers, 6 packages of feminine pads, 14 boxes of tampons, 44 pair of underpants, 26 sports bras, 10 pair of socks and a box of baby wipes. All were donated to the pantry at Domestic Violence Coalition. Thanks to all who donated.

The  2018 April kick-off meeting welcomed two new chairpeople.
Mary Lou Callan and Ann Gruber will be leading the committee as it continues to support the efforts of Sylvia’s Place and The Van Buren County Domestic Violence Coalition through committee and organizational projects.
Thank you Ann and Mary Lou!

Project protocol was reviewed and chairpeople volunteered to oversee our different service projects.

Kathy Dascenzo and Sandy Olsen will chair the SHAAUW Sylvia’s Place Pillow Project in September.  SHAAUW members purchase pillows to drop off the week of the September 6th. Fall Potluck Pillow Picnic to be delivered to Sylvia’s Place.

Sue Cunningham, Nancy Kayse, and Nancy Hendrickson will chair the SHAAUW Food Bag Collection (a shift from our former personal care donations).  Sylvia’s Place recently established a relationship with Walmart for personal care items.  Heather Forrest, the executive director of Sylvia’s Place suggested food items for a pantry that often lacks food options for meal preparations.  SHAAUW members are asked to Top-it-with-Towels as towels continue to be needed by the residents of Sylvia’s Place.

Bags will be available at the SHAAUW May 17th business meeting as well as the June Tea and the Pillow Picnic in September.  The food bags will be collected in October and delivered to Sylvia’s Place after the October 13th Brunch.  Please participate in this annual SHAAUW Service Project.
Your continues efforts and generosity are greatly appreciated.
The committee is hoping to deliver 75 food bags to Sylvia’s Place in October.

The Domestic Violence Prevention Service Committee decided to pilot a new support project this spring.  The Van Buren County Domestic Violence Coalition has benefited from the committee’s financial support in the past.  Melanie Hooker has requested additional support.  The DVPS Committee decided to expand our support in 2018 by initiating a committee project.

Kathy Straits and Patty Hubbard will chair this DVC support project.
Committee members will be donating DIAPERS, SPORTS BRAS, TAMPONS, UNDERWEAR for the Coalition at the SHAAUW Business Meeting on May 17th.

Please consider joining the SHAAUW Domestic Violence Prevention Service Committee this spring.  It is a committee of 20+ active members interested in supporting the needs of courageous women escaping violence and the organizations that protect these women and their families.

Good news for Sylvia’s Place as the South Haven Women Who Care awarded the domestic abuse shelter it’s February donation of $7,900 (at last count).

This is will be a significant addition to the shelter’s budget, allowing the shelter to install needed new flooring. The story of the shelter’s needs, its limited budget, the work it does, and the courageous women served is always compelling. The fact there were several AAUW members in attendance that February evening was also helpful.

It was upon the initial suggestion of several members of the SHAAUW Domestic Violence Committee (more than a year ago) that an appeal to this newly formed organization:South Haven Women Who Care be made.

We used the following year to learn what we could about what made for a successful presentation to the South Haven philanthropic organization.  We learned that sometimes it’s the competition, other times it’s the level of useful information the presenter relates to the group and often it’s the community connection.

In November 2017, Heather Forrest: Sylvia’s Place Executive Director, was contacted and she provided Sandy and myself many needed operating details to help us make a successful appeal and answer member questions knowledgeably, if Sylvia’s Place was chosen at the December meeting.

The community connection was established first of all with the absence of a Van Buren County shelter. Heather also provided us with one more vital statistic: of the 100 plus women served annually, nearly 20% are Van Buren residents.

As luck would have it, we were not one of the three non-profits chosen to present in December. Sandy and I took the opportunity to become even more familiar with the information we had been given by Heather, as well as the suggestions for presenting provided by the organization

At the February South Haven Women Who Care meeting Sylvia’s Place was chosen as one of the three non-profits to present and our appeal was SUCCESSFUL!

Heather was thrilled with the news and arrangements are being made for donation to be presented. One more financial need can be checked off Sylvia’s Place’s to-do-list. The SHAAUW Domestic Violence Prevention Committee is happy to have played a part.

Joining SHAAUW Domestic Violence Service Committee

We have 20 members and meet twice a year: Spring and Fall.                                                       We’re currently committed to organizing two annual Sylvia’s Place projects:

The September Pillow Collection

The Food Bag Project (formerly the basket project).

We donate funds to The Van Buren County Domestic Violence Coalition

We follow/share domestic violence national and state legislation/news.     We participate in a Winter Reading Project in hopes of deepening our understanding of this important issue.

If you would like to join our committee, please contact Barb Calhoun or Kathy Straits.