Feminism + Fashion, or How I Spend my Sundays
As if I’m not busy enough working full-time, trying to maintain a social life, and balancing other weekly commitments, I’ve recently started volunteering every Sunday afternoon. I’m working for Battered Women’s Support Services, this amazing feminist organization which “provides counselling and advocacy for women survivors of violence in relationships, childhood sexual abuse and adult sexual assault” as well as for survivors of foster care and the residential school system. They also provide education and training on violence against women to high school students and other groups, and offer various services for women survivors of violence including legal advocacy, support groups, a crisis line, referrals, as well as support and outreach specific to First Nations women.
And it doesn`t stop there. They also have a really fabulous thrift store called My Sister’s Closet – where I volunteer – that provides redeemable store vouchers and hampers of household goods to women who are leaving violent situations. The store gives all its revenue to BWSS, providing some much-needed funding for the organization (especially since the BC Liberal government recently cut all funding from women’s organizations…). What is especially amazing though, I think, is that My Sister`s Closet makes a point of only selling high quality, stylish, and seriously hip clothes at affordable prices. The women who run the organization believe that women who are in dire financial situations or those who face economic barriers (as a result of a various factors such as chronic poverty, abuse, violence, ethnicity, etc.) should still have the option of buying stylish and high quality clothes. I couldn`t agree more!
From their website, My Sister`s Closet (and the brand new downtown location MSC 1092) has the goal of:
• Supporting low-income women and their families in our community through the sale of high quality, fashionable clothing at affordable prices.
• Supplying battered women and their children in transition with basic house hold items and clothing through our Hamper and Voucher program.
• Working towards an end to violence against women and children as well as violence in the community at large through violence awareness prevention activities.
• Creating a safe and inspiring atmosphere in order to provide women and their families with a place to shop and gather.
• Promoting empowerment through volunteerism for women in our communities
• Providing a space for men to get involved to help end violence against women, through their donations and purchases.
For any of you readers who live in the Lower Mainland, if you are thinking about getting rid of some of your old clothes or household stuff, it`s a great place to bring your donations. And I highly recommend the organization if you are looking to volunteer too, whether in the store or in the main BWSS office. Whatever your strengths or interests are, there`s something that could probably work for you. And I have to say I’ve been incredibly lucky to have met such a wonderful and diverse group of women who work and volunteer there (props to my good friend J who got me into volunteering there in the first place). Plus, they take really good care of their volunteers, with monthly networking meetings coupled with dinner, info sessions and fun activities for us to do. Have I sold you on it yet?
Now, of course many of you don`t live in or around Vancouver, but don’t be discouraged! Look around your community, there may just be an equally awesome feminist organization that is desperately seeking more lovely folks like you to help them do their incredibly important and too-often overlooked work.
