CHW SUPPORTS SOCIAL SERVICES
WIZO Services
One of the many devastating outcomes of this pandemic has been the dramatic increase in domestic violence worldwide. The UN has named this crisis the Shadow Pandemic.
Globally 81,000 women and girls were killed in 2020, and 58% of them died at the hands of an intimate partner or a family member. This is equal to a woman or girl being killed every 11 minutes.
True to its mission, CHW (Canadian Hadassah-WIZO) is leading the way to empower women by stepping up emergency support and services at this critical time.
Due to the increase in domestic violence in Israel, our partnership with, and support of, WIZO is more critical than ever. Women leaving the WIZO emergency shelter with their children require a helping hand to be reintegrated back into a safe community.
Read an interview with the Head of the WIZO emergency shelter in a recent issue of ORAH magazine:
CURRENT PROJECTS:
CHW supports WIZO through Essentials Kits, the Safety Net Program, and a Respite Camp Program – ensuring that women and their children have a safe place to turn.
Essentials Kits
Kits are provided for women leaving a WIZO shelter. The Kit provides basic necessities like small appliances, clothing, school supplies, linens, kitchen utensils and other household items needed to maintain a decent home.
The Kits are tailored to the specific needs of each family, to help them start fresh in a new home.
Safety Net Program
Women leaving a WIZO shelter with their children require a helping hand to safely rejoin the community. They face extreme emotional, legal, and social challenges.
Safety Net has nearly a 100% success rate to break the cycle of violence and prevent victims from re-entering an abusive relationship. The program assists with social and personal support, helping to provide and care for the victims’ greatest needs.
SAFETY NET GOALS:
1. Emotional Support
Creating a network of support and a sense of community for women and a circle of care for their children. Women are matched with a personal “mentor” and friend – a trained WIZO volunteer who builds an ongoing supportive relationship with the family. The women receive weekly support groups to help them process past trauma and obtain new skills. They also have access to professional workshops, such as writing therapy.
2. Financial Independence
The women have access to resources that help them understand their rights, get housing assistance, legal aid, and find a job. There are workshops for employment rehabilitation, legal support, food vouchers on holidays, and school supplies for children.
3. Parental Empowerment
Training and hands-on guidance are provided to help mothers rebuild their sense of self-worth, confidence, and parental competence. There are parent group counseling sessions, summer camps for the children, and structured bonding activities.
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Children are cared for while their mothers receive hands-on tools to rebuild their lives.
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Families attend structured weekly support meetings tailored for women alongside fun activities for children.
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Dedicated and committed volunteers, trained and supported by WIZO staff in Israel and CHW.
Respite Camp Program
To support the continued economic independence of at-risk women, CHW is funding summer and holiday day camps to provide children with fun, safe supervision so that women can continue working while their children are cared for. As well, CHW provides a 10-day overnight summer camp experience for at-risk youth from WIZO youth villages.
Legal Aid
Details coming soon…
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