'I wanted to give back': Women of Worth grew from struggles

This Christmas, the locally based Women of Worth gathered hundreds of gifts for parents and their children struggling against poverty.

Women of Worth began with the struggle of one woman - founder Sandy Schmidt - to care for her own children despite violence and homelessness.

In 1992, Schmidt left a controlling and abusive husband in Arizona after 10 years of marriage. She headed for Roseville at age 29 with three children aged 3, 6 and 8 years.

"We left in the middle of the night with what we could take in a pillowcase. I didn't know where to turn," Schmidt recalled of those days.

Schmidt was unaware of many of the aid programs available for the needy. She and her children were evicted from apartment after apartment. They sometimes slept in unused rental trailers they would find unlocked. She ate once a day so her children could have enough.

"It's scary because (social workers) can take your children away" for endangering them, Schmidt said. "You're not trying to endanger them. You're just trying to survive."

When winter came, Schmidt turned to a thrift store to get her children some coats. She recalled being taken to a back room and offered torn, dirty garments with broken zippers. When she finally applied for government assistance, workers scoffed at her aspirations for a better life, she said.

"I vowed that someday, when I can, I wanted to do something, to have my own outreach," Schmidt said. "I wanted to somehow give back."

The kindness of her children's teachers helped Schmidt get back on her feet. She enrolled at Sierra College in Rocklin while working as a bookkeeper. She added income by cleaning houses, selling plastic ware and working part time in the college office.

Schmidt eventually met Greg Schmidt. They married in 1993 and moved to the Grass Valley area.

But she continued to seek support, finding it online with abuse recovery groups that became the foundation for Women of Worth.

By 1999, Sandy Schmidt felt she could start making her dream a reality: She started a thrift store that eventually was taken over by the Food Bank.

"We made sure everything in the store was nice and were very discreet with the clients," Schmidt said. She kept special items in the back for the neediest shoppers: nice jewelry, new makeup, gift certificates for a massage or a haircut.

Since its founding, Women of Worth has widened its vision to include:

• The yearly HoHoHo Christmas gift program, which this year brought in "angels" to adopt 56 families and 200 children;

• A yearly back-to-school program, providing students with new backpacks, school supplies, new clothes and physical education uniforms;

• A program to collect warm clothing and blankets in North San Juan;

• A program in Camptonville to collect gloves, mittens and hats for children;

• A program to collect stuffed animals for children who visit incarcerated parents but cannot touch the parent while visiting.

If a woman needs help packing a few things to flee from a violent home, Women of Worth will stand by. They will help women get a car repaired so they can get away.

Women of Worth receives no government funding. All income starts with individual donations. "One hundred percent of that goes right back out. We're all volunteers," said Rose Johnson, director of the HoHoHo program.

Applicants come to Women of Worth as referrals from doctors, nurses, teachers, ministers, neighbors, family counselors and county employees in social services. A few come on their own.

All are thoroughly screened before receiving aid. "We will try to help someone who's trying to help themselves," Johnson said. That may mean a mother working for minimum wage, a student working part time, or a father out of a job after 25 years.

Many of the clients are women fleeing from domestic violence. Some are struggling single mothers; some are families that suddenly have fallen on hard times.

They may get assistance for up to two years. "They should be able to stand on their own after that," Johnson said.

<I>To contact staff writer Trina Kleist, e-mail trinak@theunion.com or call 477-4231.</I>

Helping hurricane victims Sandy Schmidt, founder of Women of Worth, recently visited several parishes in Louisiana that remain in a state of devastation after Hurricane Katrina. Right after the hurricane hit, Schmidt began making contacts with people and churches in the area through e-mail. Women of Worth began sending needed items to people in the region with the help of Rotary and others taking aid. After Thanksgiving, she visited the area herself with a group from The Rock church in Roseville. "They told us the big aid organizations have pulled out, because now people are going back to their houses," Schmidt said. But the returning residents are finding their homes unlivable and no one to help them rebuild. "They need help now more than ever," Schmidt said. Women of Worth is asking for the following donations: • Blankets, coats and sleeping bags in good condition • Feminine hygiene items and disposable diapers • Financial donations to cover the cost of shipping Schmidt currently operates Women of Worth out of her home but is looking for a small office in the Nevada City area and volunteers to help staff it. Anyone interested in making donations can reach Schmidt by e-mailing <A HREF="mailto:womenofworth@nccn.net">womenofworth@nccn.net</A> or calling 878-1183. Information about Women of Worth can be found on the Web at <A HREF="http://www.women-of-worth.net" TARGET="NEW">www.women-of-worth.net</A>. <B>- Trina Kleist</B>