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The New Life Center (NLC)provides shelter and comprehensive services to victims of domestic violence and their children. New Life Center provided shelter and services to 1,288 women and children last year. In addition to a safe place to stay, they offer: advocacy services with individual and group sessions for women and children; employment services; comprehensive children's services including art, music and recreation programs; and, outreach. NLC has proven its success. Last year, 96 percent of the women completing the program chose safe housing options away from the abusive environment from which they came.
The project includes the renovation of two rooms at the center. Because New Life Center provides services to more than 1,200 women and children each year, rooms naturally need sprucing up on a regular basis. The Adopt-a-Casita project will update and refresh two rooms at the shelter. New bedding, curtains, floor coverings, seating, towels and other decorations will be provided for each of the two rooms. The need for the New Life Center can be best described through facts from the Arizona Department of Health Services.
1. One in every four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime.
2. 85% of domestic violence victims are women.
3. Most cases of domestic violence are never reported to the police.
4. Every 44 minutes in Arizona, one or more children witness domestic violence
5. Up to 60% of perpetrators of intimate partner violence also abuse their children.
Upon approval of the project, New Life Center will schedule a time to update the two rooms. Scheduling will coincide with room availability and the availability of Litchfield Park Rotary members who will volunteer their time to complete the project. Generally families stay 30 days at the shelter before locating more permanent housing arrangements, so the project will be scheduled when we know that the room is vacant. Projects are scheduled within a few weeks of the notfication of award and typically work is completed in one day. Litchfield Park Rotary members donate the "sweat equity" in order to transform the casita into a safe, and clean environment.
New Life Center has a very dedicated and capable staff. On average, rooms need renovations every two years. The help of the Litchfield Park Rotary Club memebers through free labor help us refurbish the rooms. For the past six years, the Litchfield Park Rotary Club members have been consistent volunteers in helping with the Adopt-a-Casita project and helped over 100 families through updating New Life Center rooms.
New Life Center will provide a report with details as well as "before" and "after" pictures of the refurbished rooms. The attached budget provides a detailed expenses regarding the items needed for this renovation.
The overall goal of the project is not only to provide a healthy environment but also provide necessary services at the New Life Center. The overall goal is to ensure that each individual is empowered to choose an independent, violence-free life.
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