Are you looking for another way to give back this holiday season? Consider the Downtown Women's Center! Designers are wired to PROBLEM SOLVE, and one of our city’s most visible and pressing problems is homelessness. LA’s homelessness crisis is so immense and complex that it can be hard to know how to help. Fortunately, several of us were lucky enough to cook for and serve meals to 150 fantastic women who are overcoming poverty and homelessness in Skid Row. We came, we saw, we fried 120 eggs in 2 hours! As part of AWA+D’s most recent Volunteer Day, we got a chance to participate in the DWC residents’ daily routine of morning updates, doctor appointments, classes and meals. Chatting with the women we served, all of us were immensely moved by their beauty and sweetness. In spite of their difficult circumstances, they were cooperative with one another, friendly, grateful, and sometimes extraordinarily joyful. Personally, what really struck me was how familiar everyone looked – like my own friends and family – and how much we had in common. Volunteering at the Downtown Women’s Center offers a glimpse into the terrific work being done to combat one Los Angeles’s most critical challenges, and a chance to roll up your sleeves and make a difference.The DWC’s website outlines the many ways you can help via an assortment of volunteer opportunities for both individuals and groups. In addition, the Center also takes donations ranging from money to cleaning supplies. Check out DWC’s wish list here.To support the DWC during the holidays, AWA+D will also be collecting gift cards at the Thursday, December 7 - AWA+D / WiA / ASID Pasadena / NAWICLA Holiday Mixer. Check out the link for more information.
The AWA+D’s newly minted Advocacy Committee will be organizing more volunteer days at the DWC soon. Please contact advocacy@awaplusd.org if you’re interested in getting involved.