Nonprofit Spotlight: Women of Worth work behind scenes

For many of us, it's hard to identify with an abused woman. It's hard to fathom being physically, verbally, mentally or emotionally abused. We've had stable lives as children and married good men. But life just isn't like that for a growing percentage of women who live in Nevada County.

Sandy Schmidt has had her own personal experience with domestic violence in a former marriage. That's why she founded Women of Worth in 1999. She hasn't forgotten what it feels like to be on the receiving end of abuse, and she's giving her life to helping others who are trying to escape that lifestyle.

Schmidt knows exactly what to do when she receives a phone call from a client who is at the end of her rope. She and her volunteers can help the client remove herself and any children from a harmful environment and direct them to a safe place.

But there's much more to it than that. Children need clothes and food. Clients need clothes, too, and a job and a new home. And most of them need to reclaim their dignity.

One of Women of Worth's clients, "Mary," says that W.O.W. helped her in many practical ways. They helped provide her with "furniture, clothes, blankets, pots and pans. They got me a couch, and they asked Foothill Mattress to donate a bed."

But that's not all. Mary says. "The ladies never embarrassed me. They gave me my dignity back. I feel stronger and stronger every day. I could not have created a stable home for my child without them."

When necessary, Women of Worth will even help with minor legal problems, like obtaining and filling out forms. They work together with other agencies and nonprofits to help clients in any way possible.

Board member Sheila Soulé says, "We try to encourage them. Sometimes they just need to hear, 'You're going to be OK.'"

Women of Worth receives donations from local merchants, like overstocked items, returns and seasonal merchandise, to help stock the W.O.W. food and clothes closet. Individuals also make donations. It's important to know that 100 percent of anything given to them is used to help their clients.

This fall, Women of Worth sponsored the "Way Cool Back to School Backpack and School Supply Drive." Many of you brought in a total of almost 100 backpacks and a ton of school supplies to The Union's lobby for needy school children.

Women of Worth is now in the middle of its fourth annual Helping Out Helping Others Holiday Outreach" or "Ho Ho Ho." Rose Johnson, project manager, says there are several ways you can help. Adopt a family and provide at least one new gift for each member of the family; select a child's name from the Giving Tree, located in the lobby of The Union; give a tax-deductible donation; or donate gift certificates from any grocery, shoe, department, clothing or book store.

Last year, 52 families were adopted. This year, they're hoping 75 families will receive an extra bit of Christmas cheer. Families are usually single-parent families, but last year Johnson says they even helped a mom and dad with seven children. Kindhearted givers even include presents for family pets.

Volunteers of the Sheriff's Department distribute all the gifts to the families. Johnson says, "The volunteers wear their uniforms and use a Sheriff's car. The little ones absolutely love them. We put a wreath on the front of the car. The volunteers hand out candy canes. The children see that they're not there to arrest mommy and daddy, but to help."

Sounds like good public relations.

Another outreach of Women of Worth is called "Teddy Bear Hugs." New stuffed animals are kept at the Wayne Brown Correctional Facility to be handed out by correctional officers to children of incarcerated parents. Sometimes the children become upset when they can't hug their daddies through the glass partition.

Schmidt says, "It won't be quite the same as receiving a hug from a parent, but we hope these soft critters will somehow make the 'prison walls' seem less frightening to a child."

Schmidt and her volunteers don't have an office right now. They each work out of their own homes, using their own phones and whatever space they can come up with for storing donated goods. So, if you have an office space with a storage area for a good rental price - or maybe you'd like to make a tax-deductible donation of the space - contact these ladies and make their day. Well, maybe their whole year.

One more thing: Mary has a message for any abused woman who may be reading this today. "If you need help, if something's just not right, call these people. Tell someone."

You may think you're alone and that no one has ever gone through what you're going through, but that's not true. These ladies can help you.

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Women of Worth

Sandy Schmidt, executive director

P.O. Box 213 Cedar Ridge, CA 95924

530-878-1183

E-mail: sandy@Women-Of-Worth.org

Web site: www.women-of-worth.net

Schmidt is available to speak at local clubs and nonprofits.



Wish List:

Office space (donate rent or a portion)

Office furniture: file cabinet, conference table, desks

Copier, fax, phone

Storage totes and shelving

Sponsor a specific need, like phone bill, postage, etc.



How you can help

Estate Donations

Admiration and Memorial Gifts

A Gift of Tribute on an anniversary, birthday, etc., in the name of the "special someone"

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Pam Fortner is a freelance writer in Grass Valley. Her Nonprofit Spotlight is a monthly feature. Her regular column on nonprofits appears each Monday. Deadline for information is 5 p.m. each Wednesday. The column will appear in the following Monday edition. Send information to Pamela Fortner at The Union, 464 Sutton Way, Grass Valley 95945; e-mail nonprofits@theunion.com; or fax to 477-4292.