We'll Give a Million—Can You Spare $10?

Though the domestic violence shelter movement was one of the great triumphs of the women’s movement, domestic violence makes up 21% of all violent crime experienced by women. On average, more than three women are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends in the United States every day. Misty’s story (below) is all too typical.

TeachMac and TeachIT are projects of a nonprofit organization, Created Equal, dedicated to social justice. Due to a recent sale of one of its assets, Created Equal has an opportunity make a real difference with The Oasis Project.

The Oasis Project represents an additional tool in the national effort to end domestic violence, a Violence Recovery Community, (VRC). Through careful planning and management, a violence recovery community is a safe, sustainable center for long term recovery. Women and their children can have as much time as they need to heal, learn new skills, then re-enter society, independent and in a new, safe location. Working with universities, volunteer professionals and existing domestic violence programs, the physical, emotional, educational, legal and economic needs of these women and children can be addressed without further straining federal, state or local budgets.

A Good Investment

The health-related costs of rape, physical assault, stalking and homicide committed by intimate partners exceed $5.8 billion each year. These costs of domestic violence are borne by everyone who pays insurance premiums or does business with a company with workers affected by domestic violence. Domestic violence affects us all, either directly or indirectly.

Working with traditional shelter organizations, we can find women most at risk of death. While costing considerably less than the above to set up and almost nothing to maintain once fully operational, the Oasis Project can save enormous amounts of money as well as lives. For those of us trying to raise our own children in a non-violent way, investing in the Oasis Project is an investment in their futures, in a society that is more compassionate and less violent.

Created Equal board members Alli Minch and Byron Turner are teachers who could collect years of back salary, but instead will match all donations to Created Equal and the Oasis Project (up to $1 Million dollars) made between now and December 31, 2007. The Oasis Project will save lives and prevent children from having to live in violence or end up in foster homes. Alli and Byron have given years and are giving a $Million. Please, Click the link below and give $10, or whatever you can afford.