Not sure how you can help Doorways help domestic violence survivors? Well, you only need a minute. If you want to be the change you want to see in the world then watch below to find out what one minute can do.
Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
One Minute to Be the Change
Tuesday, February 22nd, 2011The Gift of a Healthy Relationship
Monday, February 14th, 2011
Here at Doorways, we have been educating the community about healthy relationships for 30 years. Namely through our Red Flag Campaign, we have told parents, teens and kids alike that a healthy relationship includes balance, communication, trust, connection and safety.
But, this is the day of love and we would love to hear about your idea of a healthy relationship! We invite readers, donors, volunteers, and staff members to join the conversation.
What is a healthy relationship?
I Dailed 911, Again . . .
Tuesday, February 8th, 2011by Dominique Lamb, former Doorways intern
I dialed 911 for the first time when I was ten years old. My parents were fighting. I heard my mother scream louder than I’d ever heard so I dialed 911 and as my heart raced I told the operator that my father was beating up my mother. The police came and when I came downstairs, my mother lay there with a broken leg. She told the police that she’d slipped while washing dishes in the kitchen. She didn’t want to see my father arrested. It was seven years from that day until they were divorced.
When I was nineteen, I dialed 911 again. I had just been repeatedly hit on my shins by my boyfriend’s car, dragged out of the same car onto the ground, and pushed back down when I’d tried to get up. I told the operator that my boyfriend had pushed me and that I didn’t know where I was — (more…)
Take Action on Dating Violence
Tuesday, February 8th, 2011
Those at greatest risk are the least protected . . .
Join Doorways in supporting legislation in the Virginia General Assembly that would expand those eligible for protective orders to include dating partners.
One of our former interns, Dominique Lamb, was featured in this Washington Post article where she articulated the need for broad legal protection. We want you to join her in educating our community on dating violence and advocating for this new law.
Join us:
- Donate to support our education and advocacy efforts of this critical issue
- Volunteer for our programs
- Write a Letter to the Editor for your local newspaper or favorite blog
- Call your Representative in the Virginia General Assembly
- Spread the word through Social Media by following us on Twitter and Facebook
Help Doorways protect all survivors of abuse, whether they are married or dating. Abuse is abuse and we must say so. If you want to help advocate on behalf of this issue, email Wyatt at wschroeder@doorwaysva.org
Welcome Aboard, Caroline!
Monday, January 31st, 2011
Our Interim Executive Director, Caroline Jones
The board and staff of Doorways for Women and Families is excited to welcome Caroline Jones in her new role as our Interim Executive Director. We could not be more grateful for Caroline’s service to our mission.
Show your support by posting a welcome message to Caroline!
Happy New Year!
Thursday, January 6th, 2011
Happy New Year!
We had a very successful holiday season at Doorways and we cannot thank our donors enough! We met our year-end goal, sponsored out all of our families for our Holiday Wishes program and loaded up our storage space. What better way to tell you “thanks” than to share happy holiday stories from two of our programs?
From the Safehouse: It was such a fun night as parents all cooked together on Christmas Eve and set out gifts from Santa (there are three parents in the house who celebrate in this way.) Christmas morning, there were six kids scrambling about who were so excited as they shared their gifts with staff, saying “look at this!” and “look what Santa brought me!” The families in the house were so grateful for the volunteers and donors who made this holiday season extra special for them. They were extremely humbled by the generosity, as several acknowledged by saying things like, “all this is for us?!” and “we can have more than one thing?!”
From the HomeStart Program: One of our former Family Home clients joined the HomeStart program and moved into her own apartment in November. She wanted to personalize the apartment and make it her own with a festive Christmas tree, but could not afford one. A Doorways’ supporter came to the rescue and donated an artificial tree, which overjoyed the client. She was also able to place presents under her very own Christmas tree for her son, thanks to additional donors who participated in the Holiday Wishes program. She was thrilled to be able to give her son a Christmas in their own home!
Happy Holidays
Thursday, December 23rd, 2010
As the year 2010 very quickly comes to a close, we on Doorways Development Team would like to share our festive spirit, set to the tune of The 12 Days of Christmas:
On the first day at Doorways, Client Staff said we need…
And 1 newly renovated Safehouse!
Happy Holidays to all of our clients, neighbors and especially our donors for helping us fulfill so many of these wishes!
“Hello Susan. We have a problem.”
Monday, December 6th, 2010Who do you call when you have a leak in a bathroom faucet, a broken lock, a clogged toilet, dishwasher not draining, microwave not heating, light fixture not working, or an ant parade along the baseboard. When this happens at a Doorways shelter, they call me.
As Facilities Manager for Doorways, it is my job to maintain our two major properties (the Freddie Mac Foundation Family Home and the Safehouse). This includes the infrastructure of each home, all interior furnishings and equipment, as well as the yards.
Both facilities get heavy use – the average length stay for our clients is approximately four months, and given that our Family Home has 12 bedrooms for 21 residents and the Safehouse accommodates 11 people, the majority of whom are children, with Doorways staff working around the clock at both locations, the above problems are nothing unusual.
I feel tremendous pride in keeping our homes safe, secure, and well-maintained. I enjoy knowing that my work contributes to the quality of life and a pleasant living experience for all of our clients, for many of whom this could be the first warm, nurturing home they have had.
~Susan Hennessy, MPA, Doorways Facilities Manager
Thankfulness…
Monday, November 29th, 2010
photo from the trot
It’s Thanksgiving… I started my day at the Christ Church 5th annual Turkey Trot. Bright and early for an 8:00 a.m. race with 3,000 runners and walkers–a profound increase from 250 attendees the first year. I’m grateful to Christ Church’s Reverend Webster and his faith-centered congregation for its’ inspiration to find a meaningful way to raise funds to end homeless and hunger in their own backyard.
At their 5 year sold out race this year, nearly $40,000 will be shared among Doorways, Arlington Alexandria Coalition for the Homeless and the Arlington Food Assistance Center. As Ghandi profoundly challenged us all, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” Thank goodness for Christ Church creating a “trot” for change…and for all the runners and walkers who started their Thanksgiving Day by helping others!
As I watch the trotters winding through the Lyon Parks Streets strewn with wet leaves, I pondered how thankful I am to have the great honor to serve as the leader of Doorways. I’m honored to share each day with remarkable devoted, talented and compassionate staff and volunteers, and generous, kind donors and supporters.
I learned on Wednesday one of our families at the Family Home signed her own least after a very prolonged uphill, barrier filled journey from homelessness. I imagine she and her child are very thankful today, for those of our staff and volunteers who never gave up on helping her reach her goal for a home of her own.
You can help families in crisis by donating today and ensuring we meet our $100,000 year-end campaign goal! Click here to read about one of the families you will be helping.
Gratitude is a nourishing act.
“You May Be A Winner!” We all get them. But how do you know it’s a scam?
Monday, November 15th, 2010
Financial scams target those most vulnerable in our community. Since Financial Safety is one of the core components of our Financial Independence Track (FIT) program, the FIT team decided that it was important to start an open dialogue with our clients about the financial scams they or someone they know have encountered. We presented an activity on Financial Scams at the July Dinner with Friends, a monthly gathering for Doorways families.
The idea of the presentation came from a letter Kimberly, a member of the FIT team received. The time-sensitive letter was a job offer for a fake mystery shopper position. Included with the letter was a fraudulent check, which the interested party was to deposit into their own personal checking account. This offer can be very tempting to someone in desperate need of money and not aware of the warnings signs of financial scams. The FIT team presented this letter to the clients, to open a dialogue, and some of the clients took the bait. We alerted the clients that this offer was fraudulent and this led to open discussion about the warning signs of financial scams. We talked about the warning signs of financial scams such as: insufficient details are provided, you are being rushed, you are asked bank details by someone you don’t know, your emotions are engaged, and you don’t know anything about the organization involved in the offer. The clients were then able to identify the warning signs presented in the letter. Following the letter the FIT team acted out several scenarios involving financial scams, in which, clients were encouraged to participate.
The subject of finances can be very stressful for our clients to talk about for obvious reasons. I was very impressed with the level of engagement from clients and the bursts of laughter I heard during the presentation. The FIT team presented useful information in a creative manner, even enlisting help from other staff to translate the letter in Spanish. In the future, we hope the clients will at least think about the risks involved when they are faced with a financial decision.
~Ketourah J. Harden, Doorways Lead Financial Educator
Caroline Jones
