National Council of Jewish Women

Chicago, IL

Imagine escaping a dangerous home situation with almost nothing but the clothes you’re wearing. That’s the reality many women and children face when they flee a domestic violence situation. To provide dignity and practical help, the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) collects personal and household items to give to the women and children who need them. This year, the NCJW included branded hand sanitizer giveaways along with other items to help these families get a fresh start. Providing dignity, one delivery at a timeThree women wearing face masks with a logo and holding branded backpacks. The NCJW conducts advocacy, education and community service for multiple initiatives, all designed to carry out the Jewish imperative to “Ensure Dignity for All.” One of the NCJW’s largest community service projects is called Luggage for Freedom. When women and children who have fled domestic violence situations are ready to move from a safe shelter to their new home, they are often without basic supplies. In fact, many of them arrive at the shelter with nothing but a few clothing items in a trash bag. To provide these women with basic supplies, the NCJW collects gently used suitcases, along with new toiletries, linens and towels. They also collect backpacks and children’s books that allow the women and children to move into their new home with dignity and a fresh start. In October (which is Domestic Violence Awareness Month), NCJW volunteers sort and pack the donations into suitcases (or backpacks for the kids) to deliver to area shelters for distribution. “You don’t need to be Jewish or a woman to be a member of the NCJW. Usually, about 120-150 volunteers help out. However, with COVID-19, we needed a way to still carry out our annual packing and delivery day for the Luggage for Freedom project,” Melissa Prober, Executive Director of the NCJW, said. With help from a 4imprint one by one® grant, the NCJW was able to order face masks (similar to these) and small hand sanitizers with the NCJW logo. “Because of the hand sanitizer giveaways, the women we help can remember who gave them these items and who helped them move to their new home with dignity. And the face masks were lovely and comfortable. They were a step above wearing a paper mask, especially for 3-4 hours of sorting and packing,” Prober said.

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