Week Without Violence Begins Today
Our commitment at YWCA of Asheville to empowering women, nurturing families, and strengthening community makes our partnerships with other community organizations vital. As we begin YWCA USA’s Week Without Violence (WWV) today, we wanted to highlight these local partners.
The theme for this year’s WWV is “Safe Beginnings: Protecting Mothers, Nurturing Futures.” Here are five focus areas for each day of the Week Without Violence, and a brief look at the local nonprofits working to protect mothers and families in WNC:
Monday - advancing equity in maternal and infant health
Babies Need Bottoms distributes an average of 52,000 diapers to an average of 2,400 babies each month. The organization has distributed diapers and other essential items to WNC families since 2017; we are proud to be a partner distribution site through our MotherLove program.
Tuesday - ending violence in pregnancy
The mission of the Family Justice Center is to “build a resilient community free from domestic and sexual violence,” and to ensure that victims of intimate partner violence do not have to navigate volumes of repetitive paperwork and red tape to get the help they need. The FJC provides a safe place for victims of domestic violence to access a range of resources in one location. We partner with the FJC to offer free child care, on-site, through the YW's Empowerment Child Care (ECC) program to parents seeking services. Parents and caregivers can access these necessary services knowing that their children are cared for and safe.
Wednesday - advocating for the right to raise children in stable homes
Helpmate is a WNC non-profit that operates from the core belief that “we all have the right to live in safety, without violence or fear.” Helpmate runs a 24 hour crisis hotline, a crisis shelter, and advocates for victims in civil and criminal court systems from an office on the second floor of the county courthouse.
Our Voice is a partner organization with an office at the FJC. Our Voice’s mission is to foster healing and work to end sexual violence through education, counseling, and advocacy as they walk alongside survivors of sexual violence in their path to healing.
Thursday - barriers mothers face as they seek to leave dangerous situations
The Porchlight Project is a collaborative effort between Helpmate and Our Voice and enrolled partners to provide a safe, supportive space where survivors of domestic violence can make a phone call to Helpmate, Our Voice, or 911, and wait while those services respond. The YWCA is a designated location on the Southside, and there are dozens of locations throughout Buncombe County.
Friday - the critical role of legal systems in protecting mothers and their children
Pisgah Legal was established in 1978, with local attorneys working out of the Buncombe County Courthouse. Today, Pisgah Legal's attorneys and legal staff provide free civil legal aid to domestic violence victims. The YW’s Getting Ahead program partners with Pisgah Legal to help low-income women find financial stability.
