Page 105 - South Mississippi Living - December, 2016

GIVING BACK taking action
GULF COAST WOMEN’S
CENTER FOR NONVIOLENCE
story by Lynn Lofton
photos courtesy of Gulf Coast Women’s Center For Nonviolence
The Gulf Coast Women’s Center for Nonviolence opened as a safe house
in 1977, providing help to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. It is now the largest, most comprehensive program in Mississippi providing 24-hour-seven-day-a-week crisis intervention services.
“Mama’s Pantry is a new program encouraging the donation of bulk size items to our food pantry to feed the women and children housed in our shelter,” said Executive Director Sandra Morrison. “On average, we serve 4,000 meals a month at our two emergency shelters.”
Mama’s Pantry was inspired by 98-year-old volunteer Velma “Mama” Williams, and is a living legacy to the love she has for victims. Donors choose what they would like to contribute from a list of items, which month(s) they would like to donate the items, and then drop their purchase off at a pre- determined business.
In 2015, the Center provided 21,513 nights of emergency shelter and other comprehensive residential and non-residential services to 2,840 victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking. The Center served a total of 49,283 meals to residents living in the emergency shelters. The staff answered 13,987 phone calls received through the crisis hotline and provided 148 education events to 6,695 youth and community participants.
In January 2017, the Center will celebrate its 40th anniversary and will officially change the name to the Gulf Coast Center for Nonviolence. “Interpersonal violence doesn’t discriminate based on gender, race, sexual preference, or socio-economic status, so the name change will be more reflective of the population we serve,” Morrison said.
Through December 8, the Center is seeking Santa stand-ins to adopt a child, adult or family receiving services through the emergency shelters.
FOR MORE REFLECTIONS OF THE GULF COAST >> www.smliving.net December 2016 • SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living 105
Gulf Coast Women’s Center For Nonviolence
P.O. Box 333, Biloxi, MS 39533 228.436.3809 | www.gcwcfn.org krobertson@gcwcfn.org