Disclosure :: This post is sponsored by New Orleans Women & Children’s Shelter (NOWCS) and written by Michelle Wales. NOWCS does great work in, and around, the greater New Orleans area and we are honored to share 15 ways you can help on their 15th anniversary.
New Orleans Women & Children’s Shelter Celebrates 15th Anniversary: 15 Options to Help Provide Shelter, Services and Support
Trying to feed our children, get them to school in the morning and navigate their health care needs is a daily challenge for many. For single, homeless families, parents and children, it’s an especially vulnerable reality.
New Orleans’ rate of homelessness is one of the highest in the nation. Families, including single women and their children, comprise a significant portion of those without a place to call home. Families often come to The New Orleans Women & Children’s Shelter (NOWCS) from living under an overpass or in their car. Many have timed out of benefits or have been asked to leave the homes of relatives. 100% of the families we serve are in poverty and most are minorities.
Children of homelessness experience higher rates of exposure to violence, are sick twice as often, have three times the rate of emotional problems, higher rates of developmental delay and poorer academic performance than non-homeless children. They are prone to repeating the cycles of despair and poverty in their own lives.
Preventing homeless families from returning to the streets while helping families stay together has been the relentless mission of NOWCS for the last 15 years. We are celebrating our 15th anniversary this month, leading us to reflect on our impactful history and our plans for moving the organization into the next 15 years. You can learn more about our history by watching a video about our anniversary below.
To date, more than 4,000 lives, over half of which are children, have been launched on paths toward self-sufficiency as a result of our work and services, at zero costs to the residents. We are especially proud to say that 98% of residents transition to their own homes without returning to the shelter. This is a lot to celebrate!
Support New Orleans Women & Children’s Shelter Via 15 Forward
To commemorate this milestone, we have announced a 15 Forward campaign, which includes the special video above, consisting of 15 current and former residents, donors and volunteers sharing their experiences.
In honor of our 15th Anniversary, please consider supporting our cause in one of these 15 ways:
- Donate $15
- Follow us on social media @NOWCShelter
- Share our 15 Forward video
- Sign up for our email list
- Become a monthly donor
- Buy a 15 Forward T-shirt
- Purchase a birthday present for the shelter from our Amazon Wish List
- Sign up to volunteer
- Host a fundraiser
- Collaborate with friends to encourage businesses to donate 15% of proceeds to the shelter
- Ask 15 friends to donate
- Donate $150
- Invite 15 friends to tour the shelter
- Donate $1,500
- Match our Host Sponsor with a $15,000 donation!
Special thanks to our kick-off sponsors, Gulf Coast Bank & Trust, for a gracious $15,000 donation and to Fat Happy Media for donating our 15 Forward celebration video.
New Orleans Women & Children’s Shelter: History & Services
Founded after Hurricane Katrina when so many of our neighbors needed permanent shelter, NOWCS was at first a temporary solution to protect and keep together women and children who needed a home. Now, we are the largest provider of services for homeless families in Greater New Orleans.
What makes us different from other shelters is we offer a wide range of services and life skills training to keep families on a positive track. Our services include case management, employment, education and life skills training for adults plus children’s programs, assistance locating housing, and 18-months of transition support after a family leaves the shelter.
We hope you will join our cause and help us celebrate 15 years through our 15 Forward campaign. Thank you in advance of your support. We look forward to breaking the cycle of homelessness together.