Women's Resource Center

As promised!
Our newest partner is Women's Resource Center to End Domestic Violence.

The mission of Women’s Resource Center is to create a society in which domestic
violence no longer exists. We strive to meet the immediate needs of the
diverse community of battered women and their children by providing safe
emergency housing and supportive services. We work towards changing the
systems that uphold this violence through education and advocacy. The foundation
of Women’s Resource Center is the empowerment of all women.

Women’s Resource Center has been an outspoken advocate for survivors of domestic violence for 21 years. An investigation on the state of domestic violence in DeKalb County by the DeKalb County Task Force on Domestic Violence in late 1985 and early 1986 led to the founding of Women’s Resource Center in the Fall of 1986. In early 1987, Women’s Resource Center opened its first safe house, and in 2001 completed the construction of an expanded 32-bed safe house. Services provided to residents and non-residents alike include: a 24-hour crisis line, legal and family advocacy, support groups, parenting classes, and community education and outreach programs.

In 2006, Women’s Resource Center served more women in more ways than ever before. Our 24-hour hotline received 10,849 calls. Their safe house provided secure shelter for 163 women and 151 children. 2,312 women used the legal program and 1,300 women attended a Women’s Resource Center support group. Their family advocate worked with 181 families outside of the safe house, including those in the parenting program.

Currently, WRC is seeking to further expand their diverse group of services to include an economic empowerment program that will be made available to anyone they serve, including women from the parenting program, and those residing in the safe house. The economic empowerment program will include financial literacy education, counseling by an expert in the field of fiscal trauma, and financial rewards such as a savings match. An abbreviated version of the program may later be made available to the teenage children of the women they serve.

(full disclosure: Rachel has a working relationship with WRC which will continue until July '08.)

Oops

Sorry for the sluggish posting! Just a quick hit to keep you up to date.

Things are getting exciting here at Giving by Design.
-We've acquired a new partner in Women's Resource Center who we'll post more about shortly.

-We are preparing for our first live event which will take place in Atlanta, GA in the Fall of 2008 and will benefit GBD and WRC. We'll post more as that develops.

-We are gearing up to actively recruit new artists beginning in January '08.

-We are drafting our corporate paperwork! (exciting in a distinctly boring way)

The Innocence Project

Thanks to The Innocence Project for being the first organization to officially permit us to use their logo on our website!
If you are not familiar with the Innocence Project you really should check them out. Both of my parents are attorneys who have been both criminal defense attorneys, and worked in the District Attorney's office, and I practically grew up in the courthouse. For the most part, those involved in the justice system are good people trying to do the right thing because they genuinely believe in upholding and protecting a just society.
That being said, the justice system can at times be unbelievably corrupt and the deck is definitely stacked against the poor when it comes to legal representation. For example, according the Innocence Project's website:
"A review of convictions overturned by DNA testing reveals a trail of sleeping, drunk, incompetent and overburdened defense attorneys, at the trial level and on appeal. And this is only the tip of the iceberg. Innocent defendants are convicted or plead guilty in this country with less than adequate defense representation. In the some of the worst cases, lawyers have:

-slept in the courtroom during trial
-been disbarred shortly after finishing a death penalty case
-failed to investigate alibis
-failed to call or consult experts on forensic issues
-failed to show up for hearings"

The Innocence Project is currently fighting not only to overturn wrongful convictions with previously unavailable or excluded DNA evidence, but also to fix the parts of our justice system that are deeply in need of repair. We look forward to working with them in this crusade.

Welcome!

Welcome to Giving by Design! We are a community of artists dedicated to making a difference through our work. Our website will officially launch in the Spring of 2008. The mission is twofold, 1) Provide a venue for emerging artists to display their work and earn revenue, and 2) Provide donations to our partner organizations through the sale of work displayed on the site. Until then, this blog will chronicle our development, serve as a hub for submissions, and detail any relevant issues or upcoming events. For more information, or for details about submitting your artwork, e-mail us at info@givingbydesign.com.Please check back often to make a difference through design!