STAY TUNED! WE'RE MAKING SOME GREAT CHANGES TO OUR BEHIND THE CURTAIN INITIATIVE TO BENEFIT EVEN MORE SURVIVORS. LOOK FOR AN EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT SOON!
We are excited to announce the launch of our
Behind the Curtain initiative! Many years ago, when I finally escaped an
abusive relationship, I vowed to do something to make a difference in
eradicating violence against women. I'm thrilled to be able to give back
through Vintage Body Spa, reaching out to other survivors and giving financial
support to the organizations that provide the programs and services that are
desperately needed.
To the police officers, nurses, social workers,
court advocates, judges and therapists whom helped me during the darkest days
of my life: I will never be able to thank each of you in person, but my
gratitude and appreciation is immeasurable. May you be blessed for the
difficult, yet critical work you do.
Why is it called "Behind the
Curtain"? To signify:
1) Abuse can (and does) happen to anyone,
across all races and socioeconomic backgrounds - it can be your neighbor hiding
out in her house, afraid to leave in case anyone sees the bruises or has heard
the violence.
2) The tendency to not talk about the abuse due to fear, social
stigma and shame. Victims often hide behind an unseen curtain, veiling
their true thoughts and fears.
3) The reality of life for some survivors -
moving away, changing their name are necessary protective measures for some in
order to hide from their abuser.
Behind the Curtain will work to address the
issues of domestic violence, rape and sexual assault in a number of ways: we’ll
provide statistics and information about these
important issues here on our site, we’ll include information with each order we
ship, and let customers know how they can get involved to make a
difference.
We’ll donate a percentage of ALL sales
(yes, that’s retail, wholesale AND private label sales!) to our non-profit
partners, and we offer customers an opportunity to Buy One, Give One – by
purchasing a second identical item at a reduced price and donating our
luxurious spa products to women who have experienced one or more of these types
of abuse and are in need of some comfort and pampering. Read our program FAQ’s here.
We’re pleased to announce our non-profit partners
are Lydia’s House in St. Louis, MO, Greenville Rape Crisis and
Child Abuse Center in Greenville, SC, and The Center for Women and
Families in Louisville, KY.
Lydia's House works
in faith to end domestic violence by being a place of healing and a voice of
hope for abused women and their children by:
• Providing safe, affordable transitional housing
in a confidential location for a maximum of two years
• Assisting women and their children to create and
implement long term individual life-goal plans which include education,
training, employment, and safe housing
• Facilitating access to information and referrals
to community resources; and
• Creating awareness about domestic violence
through a speakers’ bureau and an outreach educational ministry.
For additional information, please visit their website, or contact Anjali Bradley,
Development & Community Relations Coordinator 314-771-4411, x101.
Greenville Rape Crisis & Child Abuse Center (GRCCAC)
has been providing services to rape and sexual assault victims in Greenville,
SC since 1974. Timely, compassionate services are provided to child, teen
and adult victims of rape and sexual assault including:
• Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) program with
Greenville Memorial Hospital provides compassionate support in the ER
while specially-trained ER staff conducts a rape kit. Clean clothes are
also provided to the victim prior to leaving the ER, as clothes are often retained
as evidence by law enforcement.
• Providing follow up services free of charge
including legal advocacy, therapy, support groups, a 24/7 hotline and referrals
to additional community resources as needed.
• Providing support services to the victim's family,
friends and significant others as they strive to support him or her in their
recovery and healing.
• Educating the community about preventative
measures, sexual harrassment, date rape, self defense and other related
subjects.
It is the mission of GRCCAC to assist individuals
in their transition from victim to survivor by providing all the necessary
healing services for them and their families. For additional information,
please visit their website or call (864) 331-0560. Their rape
crisis hotline, open 24/7 is (864) 467-3633.
The Center for Women and Families
helps victims of intimate partner abuse or sexual violence to become survivors
through supportive services, community education and cooperative partnerships
that foster hope, promote self-sufficiency and rebuild lives. The Center
has been serving the Kentuckiana community since 1912, when it began as part of
the YWCA. Today it is a private nonprofit organization serving 11
counties and operating seven regional locations, three of which provide
emergency shelter, transitional housing and/or long-term housing options.
For additional information, please visit their website. Their 24-hour crisis
hotline is (877) 803-7577.
We look forward to partnering with you to bring
comfort and services to abuse survivors through Behind the Curtain. If you
have any questions, or wish to have your organization considered as a
non-profit partner, please contact us. We cannot guarantee all applications
will be aproved, but each will be carefully considered.
