Alright, party people, I’m rounding out my selection of charitable organizations this week with another all-star that’s appeared in this space before: The Women’s Treatment Center.
I cannot say enough about how important the work of this organization is. It’s easy enough to say, when thinking about the challenges faced by people battling addiction, “get better. Your children need you to get better.” And that’s so true. But what about when you are the primary caregiver for those children? What happens then?
The mission of The Women’s Treatment Center is “to provide women with a continuum of care, recovery tools, and parenting skills to maintain a sober lifestyle as they rebuild their lives and mend the bonds with their families.”
The services provided by TWTC include social services, medical care, and mental health services- in short, all of the pieces women need to actually fight and beat addiction. But perhaps most important, TWTC provides these services in a program that can accommodate children in residential treatment. That means that while they are receiving treatment, mothers receive parenting classes and guidance, and are able to continue to build and repair relationships with their children, rather than being separated from them for weeks or months at a time. TWTC is also one of the few facilities in the whole country to offer a crisis nursery, which can provide 24-hour care for a woman’s children when she is unable to care for them herself. This reduces one of the major barriers to treatment, as a woman can enter detox knowing that her children are safe, well cared for, and close.
In short, The Women’s Treatment Center is committed to helping women conquer substance abuse while honoring, protecting, and building essential family relationships. Its programs address the parallel issues of treating substance abuse and taking proactive steps to prevent child abuse and neglect. It’s an important place, and I’m happy to support them every year. Let’s help them out a little this season.
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So get to it! Comment! And remember, today is the last day to tell me about one of your favorite charitable organizations- I’ll select five of the organizations you identify in the comments and put up a poll tomorrow morning. The organization that receives the most votes will receive an additional $50 donation from me. Whee!
I love the sound of this one. My favorite charity is St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.
Wonderful. My favourite charity is DonorsChoose.org
My favorite charity is Partners in Health.
I’ve mentioned WATCH (watchmn.org), right? It’s a court monitoring organization in Minnesota. I’d just like to add that WATCH is a model for court monitoring systems all across the country and it does trainings and web seminars to help other organizations start up and organize!
TWTC sounds like a great organization!
Another valuable cause. My two favorite charity are Chicago Anti-Cruelty Society where we got our cat and PAWS (Pets are worth saving where we got our second dog last year. They both sweep the kill pound and save the dogs and cats that are just days in some cases hours away from needless euthanasia. Our Rosie was just a few days away from meeting that fate.
They both provide free or reduced vet care and in CACS reduce training classes if you adopt a bully breed.
they are staffed by some amazing volunteers and truly love what they do. In fact at PAWS, they have a beautiful pit who is paralyzed after saving his owner from a robbery and got shot. They refuse to put him down and he has a special wheelchair for his walks. That dog has not yet been adopted and will live the rest of his life in a beautiful warm cage free room with plenty of blankets, food and love.
The our rescue cat and dog have made our lives hetic and a wee bit crazy but nothing cheers you up after a bad day then wagging tails and kisses.
My favorite charity is donorschoose.org
I also like Doctors withut borders (almost typoed there to be doctors without boarders, which sounds like doctors who need roomates or something)
I love that you’re doing this. It’s so nice to hear about difference organizations.
I don’t have a specific favorite charity, but any one that helps animals gets my vote.
What an amazing mission statement.
I don’t have a specific favorite either, but I tend towards the ones that help kids or animals.
I love Donorschoose.org and Noah’s Wish.
I dont have any local faves, since im not in chicago, but I usually give to ones that help kids and fight hunger.
Well done! I’m digging donorschoose.org recently.
OK, I’ve run out of charities to mention. Apparently I need to educate myself more.
I don’t have a specific charity that I can recommend, but I think it’s wonderful that you’re doing this project. Amazing!
This is a good one too.
I don’t have a “favorite” charity per se, but we’ve donated to St Judes for many years and they are making huge strides in cancer research and treatment for children.
I am so glad you are doing this. One charity that really speaks to me personally is Lighthouse for the Blind. My grandpa is legally blind (within the past 8 years or so), and knowing they work to make it so people can adapt to living without vision more easily is important to me (and to him!).
As opposed to my under-educated sister, I will never run out of charities to mention! Today I will pick Food & Friends (also in DC of course). This organization prepares, packages, and delivers 1400 meals a day to people who are homebound due to complications from HIV/AIDS, cancer, and other life threatening diseases in the DC metro area. They provide nutrition counseling also, and if you live outside of their fresh meal delivery range (they bring 3 complete, nutritious meals per day), they can deliver groceries every week or two that people can prepare themselves. For their meals, they individualize when necessary, such as for vegetarians or people who can only chew soft foods, etc. They rely mainly on volunteers to do their preparation, packaging, and delivery. They’re great!
This is another great-sounding organization. You really find the good ones!
Yeah, helping out thoughtfully in difficult situations! Yeah Partners in Health and Paul Farmer curing the inequity of global health!
I love that you do this every year!
what a wonderful thing you’re doing! this sounds like a great organization.
good pick.
I don’t have a favorite charity as there are so many worthwhile causes out there…but I tend to steer towards charities for children in crisis. Today I choose Boys Town (www.boystown.org).
hooray hooray hooray!
Innovative idea. Love it.
This is such a great thing that you are doing!
Love this! Great organization that you’re highlighting.
My favorite charity is the Orange County Rescue Mission.
Happy Thursday!
these women need support! great cause!
Nice! What a great organization
This is a great cause. I like the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the ASPCA.
What a fabulous cause. I’m a big fan of St Jude’s Children’s Hospital in Memphis.
Cheers for supporting another great cause and sharing it. I volunteered for them for several years, and I think what they continue to do is unique and makes a big impact in the lives of the women and their children.
Love this charity. I’ll second NGS to note that I love WATCH, along with the MNUDL, of course.
Love Love Love!
You are amzing!!!
You’re awesome. Period.
This is great. Thanks! Once again, I’m putting in my two cents for DonorsChoose!