One in four women have been a victim of domestic violence, and those impacts can extend to affect an entire family.
In a few weeks, children will be heading back to classrooms, including those whose lives are in turmoil because of domestic violence. One local group is looking to make sure they at least have the tools they need to succeed, though.
Helping children to be ready with everything from pencils to calculators is the Women in Business Committee of the Southern Saratoga County’s Chamber of Commerce. For the last half-decade, they’ve worked with the Domestic Violence and Rape Crisis Services of Saratoga County (DVRC) through Backpacks of Hope to fill the need.
“It is the committee’s hope that recipients of the backpacks and baskets will take comfort in knowing there are people in their own community who care and want to help in a very practical way,” said Liz Roggenbuck, member services manager at the chamber, in a statement.
Loretta Rigney, the chamber’s vice president and director of marketing and communication, said the program is a spinoff of the Baskets of Hope initiative, which supplies personal care items to women at DVRC year round.
“It’s a way for the members of our Women in Business Committee to let victims of domestic violence know that people in their own community care about them,” said Rigney.
The Domestic Violence and Rape Crisis Services of Saratoga County provides shelter, counseling, legal advocacy and housing programs to women and children in crisis. They receive 2,000 calls every year from women in need of support.
“The program is tremendous,” said Nagar Hale, the chamber’s director of membership development. “What’s extraordinary about DVRC is that it does cross so many socio-economic lines of every type.”
Around 100 backpacks are filled every year with school supplies collected at dozens of businesses, including H&R Block and Envisions Beauty Salon, as well as the chamber’s office in Clifton Park.
The committee is made up of 70 area business women and aims to give children items that may otherwise not be in their family’s budget.
“The Women in Business Committee has really adopted this issue … and in supporting other women in achieving stability,” said Maggie Fronk, executive director of DVRC.
She added families in crisis might struggle just to get food on the table, and when the school year rolls around school supplies might simple be out of the question.
As word gets out about Backpacks of Hope, Fronk said that the response has been great and that the DVRC is grateful to the chamber for its efforts. She added all types of school supplies are needed.
“If you’re shopping for your kids just think of what they need, that’s what these kids need too. We always need calculators and notebooks,”said Fronk.
Roggenbuk that the program is a point of pride for the chamber and one of the most important things it does all year.
“It struck a chord with the committee… each (committee member) has her heart in it for various reasons,” said Roggenbuk.
Hale said that the program is sponsored in large part by Seton Health and is one of the chambers strengths. “We support local women and children that are victims of domestic violence and we include the donations to help the women and their children,” she said.
Backpacks will be assembled at the chamber’s office on Aug. 22.For more information on where to donate supplies for Backpacks of Hope, call the Southern Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce at 371-7748.
For information about the Domestic Violence and Rape Crisis Services of Saratoga County visit www.dvrcsaratoga.org. For those in need of services, the group runs a hotline at 584-8188.
