Happy International Women's Day!

"If you want to alleviate poverty, you give women access to credit and opportunities to actually start to generate income for themselves and their families." -Hillary Clinton

About International Women's Day

When: Tuesday 8 March 2011
Where: Everywhere
What: International Women's Day (8 March) is a global day celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future. In some places like China, Russia, Vietnam and Bulgaria, International Women's Day is a national holiday.
Why: Suffragettes campaigned for women's right to vote. The word 'Suffragette' is derived from the word "suffrage" meaning the right to vote. International Women's Day honors the work of the Suffragettes, celebrates women's success, and reminds of inequities still to be redressed. The first International Women's Day event was run in 1911. 2011 is the Global Centenary Year. Let's reinvent opportunity for working women and all women!

What will you do to ensure women and girls enjoy equality, safety and a bright future? Think globally, then act locally!

Here are some helpful links to get you started in taking action to celebrate women’s equality!

Wikigender
International Women's Day
Join me at the bridge
Hillary Clinton standing up for women

TWU Social Work Students Make a Difference at Mosaic House

Beginning in June 2009, six students from the Texas Woman’s University social work program began volunteering with us for a class project. The students began by visiting our agency and identifying some of the shelter’s essential needs. They chose to adopt one of the shelter's units and update the unit with new bedding, decorations, bathroom accessories, and kitchen supplies. The students worked diligently and held a garage sale to raise money to purchase new items for the unit adopted. In addition to the garage sale, the students collected items needed by the shelter clients, including clothes, shoes, hygiene items, toys, baby items, and children's car seats. The students also created hygiene gift bags for the women and children currently residing in the shelter as well as additional bags for future clients.

The students had a celebration party on August 6, 2009 where they revealed their final renovations to the adopted unit. The students partnered with several local companies to donate drinks, food, and a bounce house for the shelter clients to enjoy during the ceremony.

A big thanks to TWU Social Work Students Elizabeth Cuevas, Pamela Martinez, Dawn Coley, Esther Espinosa, Belen Fuentes, and Cassondra Jones!

Project 7 Volunteers at Mosaic House

Members of the group Project 7 volunteered at Mosaic House on July 10, 2009. The group painted the shelter's exterior and helped replace window screens and blinds. Project 7’s basic mission is to “Change the Score," and the group strives to build a better world by creating a collective awareness and improvement in the seven areas of need. Project 7 has a special interest in helping victims of human trafficking in Dallas as one of the group's seven causes: Heal the Sick, Save the Earth, House the Homeless, Feed the Hungry, Help Those in Need, Build the Future, and Hope for Peace.

Project 7 Volunteers at Mosaic House

For more information on Project 7, please visit their website at http://www.project7.com.

Wilshire Baptist Church Youth Group Volunteers at Mosaic House

The youth group at Wilshire Baptist Church volunteered at Mosaic House on June 30, 2009 and July 7, 2009. The group was a huge help at the shelter, and the staff and residents appreciate their hard work. The group painted inside the units, cleaned off the playground equipment, organized the clothing closet, and helped clean the apartment units.





Thank you to the Wilshire Baptist Church!

For more information on the Student Ministry of the Wilshire Baptist Church, please visit their website here.

Thank You Commercial Metals!

A volunteer group from Commercial Metals came to the Mosaic House shelter on February 24, 2009 to paint one of the units.

Thank you to Commercial Metals for supporting Mosaic House!

KPMG Volunteers Visit Mosaic House

A group of 21 KPMG employees came to Mosaic House in May 2008 to donate their time. Each year, KPMG hosts a day-long event for the women in the company. In the morning, the employees participate in a speaker workshop, and in the afternoon, they split up into groups and do volunteer work. The Mosaic group planted flowers in the garden, cleaned the playground toys for the children, and did group activities with the children. They also cleaned and prepared one of the apartment units for a new resident, and tidied the children's playroom.

Thank you KPMG for supporting Mosaic House!

KeyBank Volunteers Brighten Mosaic House

Volunteers from KeyBank visited Mosaic House on May 20, 2008. They rolled up their sleeves and made many improvements to the shelter! The volunteers painted a mural in the children's play room, re-painted the parking spaces, and put down new tile in one of the units. We appreciate their time and effort!

Thank you so much to KeyBank for helping Mosaic House and making it brighter from the women and children there!

The Dallas Team of Eli Lilly and Co. Volunteer at Mosaic House

Special thanks to Board Member Lori Wadding and her team from Eli Lilly for their continued support of Mosaic House. Back in November 2007, volunteers took time out of their busy schedule to replace flooring in the bedrooms, clean and repair existing flooring, attend to the front garden, and assisted with general repairs, as well as donating items and funds to the clients of Mosaic House.

The team returned on May 15, 2008 to do more work! They painted all of the rooms unit #201 and donated food to the shelter.

Thanks again to the Lilly Team for lending a hand!