Help victims flee domestic violence & restore hope

Fresh Spirit Wellness for Women, Inc. (Fresh Spirit) continues to strive for excellence in providing crisis intervention services to victims/survivors of domestic violence. With the onset of the pandemic, domestic violence was exacerbated. Now that we are post pandemic, the residue of its existence still lingers. Numerous calls are received daily from victims/survivors seeking not only counseling, but they are also in great need of resources on how to navigate their new lives as well as the changing landscape around them.

Therefore, the Fresh Spirit Team has readily evolved by introducing our Professional Empowerment Series to offer our clients a job readiness component that will equip them in seeking, obtaining and maintaining employment.

As a part of Fresh Spirit’s Next Level Growth, Next Level Living Series, our team has developed a real-time on the job training (OJT) support group to educate and address employment needs as observed by our team.

Because many of our women are coming out of oppressive and abusive relationships, they have not had the opportunity to learn basic protocol in the employment sector while others who previously had that knowledge, lost it due to being separated and bound for so long. Also, since navigating employment virtually during the pandemic is new to most, this series will help them with virtual job interviewing etiquette.

Furthermore, they have been deprived of gaining their independence; physically and emotionally as well as financially and socially. These socio-economic deficiencies combined with their compounded trauma has placed many clients at a major disadvantage in acquiring or regaining a healthy lifestyle. Therefore, this series is designed to impart new information to some and be a refresher to others.

Some of the topics of discussion are:

The Recruiting Process highlights the employer’s point of view. Fresh Spirit’s goal is to relay the mindset of the employer so those clients who are seeking employment can obtain an understanding of what the employer is looking for in an applicant. Reviewing this process will also assist the client in focusing, customizing and applying their job search energies in the correct manner.

Applications and more focuses on the protocol of completing hardcopy or online applications. This component will discuss the details of algorithms and how to increase one’s chances of being selected. It will also discuss how to avoid the “black hole” which means the application is never seen.

Screening to be seen reviews the telephone protocol needed during the preliminary interest and introduction to the potential employer. This audible presentation determines whether or not the applicant makes the cut to the next phase.

Interviewing to impress delves into the protocol expected during this visual interview phase whether virtual or onsite. This section will tackle the do’s and don’ts that could make or break the potential employment opportunity.

This series was carefully crafted by our Fresh Spirit Team to provide our clients with the job readiness tools needed to help them achieve their employment goals, all while maintaining and preserving a healthy living environment for themselves and their children.

With your support this quarter, the Fresh Spirit Team was able to provide 67 unduplicated clients with 193 crisis counseling and therapy hours; 13 support groups with 124 attendees; and 25 clients received legal advocacy services. We also provided emergency hotel stay in our Safe Night Program to a family of four fleeing domestic violence. 

Your ongoing support has been integral in making these services possible. Due to the sensitive nature of the support group services provided and the safety of our clients, photos are limited due to confidentiality.