Holiday
drive to help local women
By Greg
Johnston
As the
holidays draw near, UNM employees feel the need to reach out
to those less fortunate.
The UNM
Advancement Division is coordinating the annual Spirit
of Giving campaign. Staff, students and faculty are asked
to make donations to benefit the Womens Community Association,
an organization that houses and assists victims of domestic
violence.
Selecting
a recipient for the holiday drive was a difficult process. The
Spirit of Giving committee reviewed a long list
of local non-profits. The committee is made up of employees
from Alumni, Development, KNME TV, Public Affairs and University
Communications and Marketing.
It
was tough to decide because there were so many organizations
helping people in need, said Hilary Jetty, UNM Development
Office. It was a real eye-opener to see how many were
in existence.
The Womens
Community Association (WCA) has been in operation since 1976
and is currently the only domestic violence shelter in the Greater
Albuquerque area. Victims of domestic violence receive shelter,
counseling, advocacy training and support services. The center
houses both victims and their children. As children comprise
up to 60 percent of those served, WCA provides a special childrens
program. All services to clients are provided free. In November,
the shelter was operating at full capacity.
A wish
list of donations was submitted to the UNM committee
by the WCA director. Donations are being collected for both
WCA clients and the shelter. Items most in demand are new personal
hygiene items: toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, shampoo, conditioner
and hairbrushes. Winter clothing, including hats and gloves
for children, is needed. Large items are also needed at the
shelter such as dressers, twin mattresses, sturdy bunk beds,
fax machine and copier. To donate large items, call Jetty at
277-1655.
Anybody
who has a good TV sitting in their garage or has discarded their
VCR for a DVD, well take those items, Jetty said.
The Anderson
Schools of Management chose to participate in Spirit of
Giving. Lisa McHale, development officer, said that admission
for faculty and staff to Andersons holiday luncheon on
Dec. 11 will be a donation to the Womens Community Association.
Spirit
of Giving collection boxes are located at the Alumni office
in Hodgin Hall; Development office, 700 Lomas Blvd. NE; Visitors
Center, 1700 Las Lomas NE; and KNME TV. Donations will be accepted
through Dec. 15. To see WCA wish list items, go to the UNM homepage
and click on News and Events, then News Releases for Dec. 4.
To learn more about the Womens Community Association,
go to www.swcp.com/wca.