More than 45,000 women and children spend each Mother’s Day in domestic violence shelters. Jewish Women International is again sponsoring its Mother’s Day Flower Project, which uses donations for Mother’s Day cards to send flowers and financial literacy resources to more than 200 domestic violence shelters across the United States on Mother’s Day.
“Thousands of brave women, escaping violent relationships [and fleeing] with their children and often only the clothes on their backs, are empowered by our financial education — which they use in building safe, independent new lives — and buoyed by the beautiful bouquets,” says JWI CEO Lori Weinstein.
For each $25 donated, JWI sends a personalized Mother’s Day card to the donor’s choice of honoree: mother, grandmother, aunt, sister, friend. Timely delivery cannot be guaranteed for paper card orders placed after May 1, but e-card orders may be placed any time before Mother’s Day, which is Sunday, May 12.
“When I got the card from my son and realized he’d made a gift to benefit abused women, I knew I’d done my job as a mother. He’s so compassionate; I’m so proud,” says one recent card recipient.
“My daughter’s teacher had tears in her eyes when she thanked us for the Flower Project card. We didn’t realize it would mean so much, or feel so rewarding,” says a donor.
A woman living in a shelter says, “In the shelter, we’re there to survive. But JWI’s flowers made Mother’s Day special: We felt like someone was looking out for us, and honoring us as women.”
The director of a JWI Flower Project recipient shelter shared the story of one bouquet: “Judy came to our safehouse after surviving an attempt on her life — orchestrated by her husband and executed by her own son. The plan had been to beat her until she died. The one thing no one accounted for was Judy’s inner strength. There was no question that we wanted her to have the flowers that JWI sent to us that Mother’s Day. Tears fell from Judy’s eyes as she explained that no one had ever given her flowers before. We told her what JWI is, what you do, and how each donation to the Flower Project reaches the most special of mothers on this holiday. Judy was touched: “How could strangers from across this country take a moment to care to send me flowers?” Every Mother’s Day since, she buys flowers to put in the vase that she saved from JWI’s bouquet, and she thinks of you.”
To order cards, visit www.jwi.org/flowerproject.
