Recycle To Help End Domestic Violence
When I first heard about recycling to help end domestic violence, I thought it must be a joke. But it’s for real. Read on!
Trash Recycling with Disposal Containers (Photo credit: epSos.de)Domestic Violence: Why Do Women Stay?
The Violence Against Women Act was a landmark victory when it was signed into law in 1994. Last month the U.S. Congress again made history, voting to sustain funding to the Domestic Violence Hotline and other services, as well as enhancing it with added protections for survivors. Yet, even with these support systems in place more than three women are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends each day in the United States. Statistics show 85% of women remain in a relationship where domestic violence has been reported. Why?
There are many factors that force victims to remain or return, including isolation, entrapment, coercive control, financial issues, lack of support and safely-accessible resources, as well as fear for their own lives and those of their loved ones. Yet there is also another important reason: “Like all mothers, victims of domestic violence do not want to be separated from their children,” said Cassandra Loch, President and CEO of Prototypes, a non-profit organization that serves 12,000 people annually. “In our experience, when law enforcement is contacted in a domestic violence situation, dual arrests are likely to take place, and the children are more likely to enter the foster care system. This is an important factor in mothers’ reluctance to contact the authorities when facing domestic violence.”
Witnessing violence in the home is the strongest risk factor for perpetuating the cycle. For example, boys who witness domestic violence are twice as likely to abuse their own partners and children when they become adults.
How Can You Make a Difference?
You’ve been wanting to go green, right? Why not save the earth, women and families all at the same time? Send your old cell phones, ink cartridges, digital cameras and more to Recycle for Domestic Violence.
They’ll keep your old electronics out of the landfills and send money to the National Domestic Violence Hotline for it. It’s a win-win.
When you enroll in their recycling program, simply select the National Domestic Violence Hotline as your organization. Then, every time you send in recyclables, the organization gets money that allows them to continue helping teens, women and families to safety.
Thanks for this address. I have been following this on the news and will gladly recycle for this cause.
So glad to hear it! We’re a recycling house and I was so happy to find a way to make a donation to a great cause as well.
Great post! I spent the last three and a half years before I came a SAHM last summer working as an advocate in a DV assistance program…spreading the word and fundraising for the movement is so important!
It is important. I also feel it’s important to give people options on how they can help. People don’t want to always feel like they’re being asked to give money… but make it a win-win and we can help raise funds and get people involved!
This is great! I am going to bookmark this post for future reference and share. I’m sure I’ll need to recycle ink cartridges soon. There are so many factors involved with domestic violence and funds always seem to be dwindling. Anything we can do helps!
I agree. I’ve visited safe houses for battered women to write articles for newspapers and they are always desperate for funds. People don’t always want to feel like they’re being asked for money. So by offering other options, I hope people will happily recycle their electronics while also making a difference for women who are in a difficult spot.
FYI, I will be sharing this post and idea as my “simple way to give back” in my newsletter that’s being emailed tomorrow!
Thanks for the information, Jenny. This isn’t something that I think about – really. It’s great that you are information people and reminding them that there is a problem.
Thanks. It is a problem we often don’t think about. I’ve written articles about safe houses in the past for papers and people are always surprised that there are safe houses… even in their neighborhood. And this program is such an easy way to help women get the help they need without getting in even more danger.
Great post and very informative!
Glad you liked the post. I hope next time you have electronics to recycle, you’ll do it through this system 🙂
Wonderful to know about this! Thanks!
I never knew this–thank you for the information!
What a wonderful way to help! i commend you on this article!
I hadn’t heard of this before but I will follow up with this program. I always donate money to my local DV center because I think it is a very important cause. Thanks for the info.
This is a very meaningful program with a great cause.
You truly spent a lot of time on this post. Thank you so much for bringing awareness to this horrible subject matter!
I used to work at the St. Atty Office and it was always the same story for battered women, they had nowhere to go and no money to do it with. They did not want to lose their kids (which I think needs to be changed somehow by the system). I love that something I already do can help them, thank you for sharing.
Thank’s for sharing this information to all of us, women! I would love to do so, donating those things that we don’t need anymore.
recycling is the best way to keep our environment clean. we have problems with our garbage in phillippines the truck rthat collects it takes 2 months before they come to our area…so our garbage will end up stocked in the front yard.
recycling is always a good thing, too bad we don’t do recycle here. we just put everything in the garbage can and they pick it up.