Becca Burns, the Director of Volunteer Services for The Willow Domestic Violence Center, joined Rotarians for lunch to kick off the club’s third annual fund-raising effort on behalf of the agency. Each May, Lawrence Central Rotary collects personal hygiene items and financial contributions for The Willow.
Burns highlighted the range of services available at The Willow as well as the wide-spread need for those services. One in three women will experience some sort of domestic violence in their lives; one in six men are victims. The agency is now providing programs to educate and prevent domestic violence as well as assist those escaping from it. The Willow is also addressing the issue of human trafficking for labor or sexual exploitation. Their programs include efforts in Franklin, Jefferson, as well as Douglas County.
Becca is responsible for training, recruiting and supervising volunteer and intern advocates, many of whom work directly with the survivors The Willow serves. She obtained her Master of Social Work degree from Washington University and her Master of Education from the University of Missouri at St. Louis.
All month Lawrence Central encourages members and guests to come to our meetings and drop off cash donations or items that will go directly to help the work that The Willow does. Please consider making a cash donation or picking up some items from the list provided by Willow:
1. Ethnic hair care products (wide-tooth combs, Pink brand products, Pantene in the brown bottles) – if your members have any questions about where to go, they can stop by Sally’s in the Kohl’s shopping center or check out the Ethnic hair care sections of Walmart and Target
2. Tampons
3. Over-the-counter stomach remedies, pain medication, and allergy relief
4. Adult body wash
5. Baby wipes
6. Diaper rash cream
7. Diapers, size 0-6
8. Flash drives
9. Planners
10. Watercolors – for the Art Program
11. Bubble machine – for the Children’s Program
