Sojourner Center

This week’s post is about a domestic violence shelter in Phoenix called Sojourner Center.  It’s named after Sojourner Truth, a female activist and abolitionist from the Civil War era who exemplified strength and courage. 

The Sojourner Center was founded in the 70’s but at the time, it was a place for women who were transitioning from prison life back into the community.  Within a short amount of time (4 years) the founders realized the majority of the women being served were victims of domestic violence and the mission was changed accordingly.  The motto of the Sojourner Center is the following:  Overcoming the Impact of Domestic Violence One Life at a Time.

Current facts on domestic violence in Arizona (found on the website):

·         1 out of every 4 women will experience domestic violence in their lifetime

·         Every 44 minutes in Arizona, one or more children witness a domestic violence incident

·         In Arizona, there were 89 domestic violence-related deaths in 2010, approximately one death every three days

Services provided by Sojourner Center:

·         Residential programs

·         Advocacy

·         Lay legal advocacy

·         Family enrichment programs

My daughter, Nastia, is an intern for this organization.  She has various jobs (see “vanguard” on website) and sometimes shares some of her experiences with me.  Although she doesn’t enjoy the circumstances, she is very passionate about what she does and truly loves this organization.  Because many of the women who come to Sojourner Center leave their situations abruptly, they are unable to bring items needed for their children.

For more information about this awesome and much needed organization, check out the website:  www.sojournercenter.org

How can we get involved?:

·         If you are local, there are “vanguard” opportunities (along with an explanation of what vanguard is) on the website

·         There is a pretty extensive “needs list” located on the website

·         Nastia and I are collecting used strollers.  Let us know if you’d like to donate a stroller!

·         If you aren’t local, look into domestic violence shelters in your area-certainly they will have similar needs with many opportunities to help out

“If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these together ought to be able to turn it back and get it right side up again.” ~Sojourner Truth