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[Event listing courtesy of the Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable]
For many years the Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable has conducted an annual donation drive to collect items for people setting up new homes after leaving a partner who mistreats them. While the goals of this effort have not changed at all, in consultation with its member domestic abuse organizations, the Roundtable has updated the name of this effort from “Shower for Shelters” to “Shower for Safety.” This name change reflects our ongoing commitment to the safety and wellbeing of all domestic abuse survivors, regardless of whether they are moving to a new home from a shelter or other housing situation.
Equally important, the name change aims to let our community know that going into a shelter is not the only way that people can receive support and help from our local domestic abuse programs. There are many paths to a safer living situation, only some of which go through our excellent area residential (shelter) programs. While not all of the Roundtable domestic abuse programs provide shelter, all six do offer a wide range of non-residential supportive services. The name Shower for Safety highlights our emphasis on safety, helping to dispel the notion that a person has to be ready to leave their partner and move into a shelter to get meaningful help or support.
Other than the name change, Shower for Safety remains the same critical donation drive to support people in our community who are preparing to move into a new home. Everyone on the Roundtable board – and most especially our representatives from Domestic Violence Services Network (DVSN), JF&CS Journey to Safety, REACH Beyond Domestic Violence, Saheli, The Second Step, and Voices Against Violence – deeply appreciate our community’s strong support and partnership in helping our neighbors set up their new kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms, and other living spaces. People who benefit from the donations not only receive things they may not be able to buy on their own (often because of the financial abuse they were subjected to), but also feel the collective embrace of a community that cares about them and their children. Please watch for further information about the Shower for Safety and our kickoff event, Libations and Donations both happening in May. We hope we can count on your support.