At Women’s Center & Shelter, not only is it extremely important to ensure the physical safety of our shelter residents but it’s also important to help with their emotional safety and healing process. We help our residents by offering a variety of groups—giving them the options to pick which ones interest them. WC&S wants to share some of these groups with you!
AT THE TABLE – WC&S’ At The Table Group takes a fun and informative approach to skills needed in the kitchen. This group aims at teaching clients various recipes all while learning how to use different kitchen tools. The group also learns ways to improvise with whatever ingredients happen to be available at the time, so nothing gets wasted. Another great thing about At The Table is that clients use ingredients grown in the WC&S garden to prepare fresh and healthy meals. The overall goal of this group is to empower clients to learn their way around the kitchen and develop new skills that can be taken with them after they leave WC&S.
LIFE SKILLS – WC&S’ Life Skills Group addresses real concerns that may deter one’s independence. WC&S tries to guide clients toward solutions as well as help guide them to learn how to overcome problems on their own. This may include conversations about budgeting and other financial concerns, finding and maintaining housing, overcoming barriers, building self-esteem, and taking responsibility for their actions and/or reactions. This is demonstrated through methods such as psycho-education, role-play, and answering questions about different life scenarios. The goal of the group is to empower women to become more independent—to empower women to be able to advocate for themselves and to develop skills that will set them up for success and self-sufficiency.
CAREER DEVELOPMENT GROUP – WC&S’ Career Development Group discusses the client’s background including their educational history, skills, past experiences and family traditions/expectations. WC&S tries to guide the client in determining their career path plan by conducting assessments, identifying abilities, mapping out the next steps, comparing jobs vs. careers, discussing and finding solutions to any challenges or barriers they are experiencing, and identifying what the client’s strengths and weaknesses are. Sometimes this can include standardized assessments, creating resumes and practicing mock interview skills. WC&S also helps connect clients to available resources such as the Women’s Empowerment Initiative, Life Works, Dress for Success and other agencies that offer Career Services.
Stay tuned next month for WC&S’ Support Groups Aim to Help Heal – Part 2, to learn about our other interesting support groups offered to our shelter residents!
