- How To Get Involved
- Donate
- Volunteer
- Attend An Event
- Youth Leadership Council
- One Night Without a Home
How To Get Involved
Donate
You can help Avalon continue to provide the vital services we offer by giving today. We know there are many causes competing for your attention, and we greatly appreciate your generosity. There are many ways you can donate to Avalon.
Volunteer
Volunteers do make a difference! There are a number of ways you can donate your time and talents, and as an Avalon volunteer, touch the lives of domestic violence and sexual assault survivors. Learn about the many opportunities to volunteer at Avalon.
Speaker’s Bureau
Would your group or organization benefit from learning about domestic violence, stalking, sexual assault, or poverty-driven homelessness in our community? Are you a member of the media looking to interview someone regarding their personal story of survival? The purpose of the Speakers Bureau is to increase awareness through public speaking and education and to create social change. Speakers Bureau members will address various groups and organizations helping to share the needs, resources and stories of survivors in our community.
For more information or to schedule a speaker, contact Avalon at 757.258.5022
Advocacy/Public Policy
Advocacy involves being informed about related issues and sharing that information with people or organizations that make important decisions affecting the subject.
The first step is to become informed. Explore our web site, learn about domestic violence, stalking, sexual assault, safety planning, and poverty-driven homelessness and join us in our efforts to promote strong, healthy relationships.
See "Get Help Section".
The second step is to share what you have learned.
And one of the most important things you can do is contact your legislators at the city, state, and federal levels to stress how important the topic of domestic violence is and how we must work to change policy and attitudes about it. Domestic violence affects us all and each and every one of us must get involved; we must break the silence if we are going to break the cycle of violence.
Donate
Your generous contribution is an investment in the health and safety of our community. By making a gift now, you will help sustain and improve Avalon’s programs.
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Matching Gifts |
You can double or even triple your gift to Avalon by completing your employer's matching gift form and submitting it with your donation. Contact the Human Resources or Benefits Manager at your company to see if your firm has a matching gift policy. |
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Non-Traditional Gifts |
Consider giving a deferred gift – bequests, charitable gift annuities, charitable lead trusts, Individual Retirement Accounts, or life insurance; or a gift of securities – donating appreciated stock, or other securities that you have held for at least a year, offers multiple benefits. Please contact your accountant, tax adviser, or investment consultant before taking any action; and be certain to ask which options may provide you with the greatest tax benefit. |
In-Kind Donations |
We are always in need of items for our shelters and Avalon greatly appreciates in-kind donations; they go a long way to helping provide the best environment for those who stay at our shelters. For more information on in-kind donations, contact Avalon at 757.258.5022. See our Avalon wish list |
Donate Services |
Everything from legal services to haircuts to marketing expertise are needed by Avalon clients and the agency itself. |
Avalon: A Center for Women and Children is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization (federal tax ID #52-1208945). All donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
On behalf of all victims and survivors of domestic violence we serve, thank you for your support!
Volunteer with Us
We could not do this important work without the help of our amazing volunteers. Avalon is always in need of volunteers to help with anything from administrative assistance to direct support to survivors. Your time and energy with us can make a world of difference in the lives of the women and children we serve. Our volunteer trainings and program are flexible, and allow you to share your skills and talents and time with others in our community.
Volunteer Opportunities
We have many different volunteer opportunities. Even if you don’t have a lot of time to commit and cannot come regularly, there are many things you could do. Please look at our Volunteer Opportunity Sheet to get an idea of ways you can work with us to make a difference.
To become a volunteer, please complete a new Volunteer Application and attend a volunteer orientation. We will then run a background check on you, and give you the log-in information for our online training modules. Orientations are held about every two weeks in the evening at our Outreach Office. We discuss Avalon’s services and role in the community as well as give more detailed information about our volunteer program, trainings, and different opportunities.
Learn More About Becoming an Avalon Volunteer
Take some time to read through our volunteer information. Because of the nature of our work, it is important to ensure that our volunteers are well trained, responsible and sensitive to the issues of domestic violence and sexual assault. Note that all volunteer jobs require an orientation to Avalon and the work we do. We ask that all Avalon volunteers attend training for multiple reasons, but most importantly so you will have the tools you need to have a rewarding volunteer experience.
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, would like to learn more about our program, or want to sign up for an upcoming orientation please contact Bridget Casey, our Community Resources Coordinator by email or by phone at 757.258.5022 ext. 1016.
Upcoming Volunteer Orientation Dates: (All New Volunteer Orientations are held at our Community Outreach Building from 6 - 8 p.m.)
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Attend An Event
Avalon coordinates many special events throughout the year including Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and various fundraising events. For more information on how to participate, please click here.
Upcoming Events:
2012 Avalon Calendar of Upcoming Events
Saturday, April 14 – Run the D.O.G. (Duke of Gloucester Street) 5K Race and 1 Mile Fun Run benefiting Avalon – in 2011, we had over 600 preregistered participants, and this year, our goal is to have 800! To learn more and register, visit www.thecolonialsports.com/events or download flyer, complete and send in with your payment. Early bird registration ends on March 23 so sign up today! We hope you can join us on this race through history!
We would like to thank our wonderful sponsors that are coming back again this year. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, there is still time. Please email Kimberly@avaloncenter.org or just download these sponsorship opportunities, fill out the commitment form, and send it back in to us. Thanks! If you would like to volunteer for the race, please let us know as well.
Wednesday, April 18 – Wine Gala Sponsored by Women's Charity Tennis and The Fresh Market – Enjoy prime rib, shrimp cocktail and other delightful hors d' oeuvres as well as distinctive cheeses at this exclusive wine tasting event! Up to a 15% discount on wine purchases will be offered as well! Tickets for this exclusive event are limited to 300 and they are $30 per person.Proceeds from ticket sales go to support two groups - Avalon and CASA. For more information or to purchase tickets, please contact Kimberly Laska at kimberly@avaloncenter.org. Tickets are limited, so please email soon if you are interested.
Saturday, April 21 – Belk Charity Day benefiting local non-profits – With a $5 donation to Avalon for this program, you will receive a special ticket that will give you private access to help for this wonderful sale, as well as a $5 coupon to use during it. Brands that are rarely on sale will be for this event. And, this is a nationwide event, so tickets can be purchased by friends of Avalon or you that live near a Belk. If you cannot attend that Saturday, do not worry. You can visit Belk the week before the event and put your items on hold, then pick them up after the sale. What a great way to help our charity! Call or email Kimberly to learn more or to purchase your tickets for the event.
Friday, August 24– Annual Avalon’s Charity Golf Tournament for Women: Women Helping Women – Avalon's annual women's fundraising tournament, Women Helping Women, raises funds to aid women and children in crisis in Greater Williamsburg. The tournament, one of the regions only golf tournaments planned by women for women, will be held at Ford's Colony Country Club. In addition to golf, there will be a great dinner, and raffle prizes. Golfers of any skill level are invited and encouraged to come out to participate.
Friday, November 2- 3 – One Night Without A Home (ONWAH) – This is more than an event —it is an experience where participants not only learn about homelessness but pledge to be part of the solution to raise awareness in our own community. Participants help those without a home by giving up theirs for one night. Sleep-out is available for students ages 10 to 18 and their adult chaperones. Event check-in starts at 5 p.m. and it will conclude at 11 a.m. on Saturday.
Please contact Kimberly Laska at kimberly@avaloncenter.org for more information about any of these events. Visit www.facebook.com/avalonva to learn about these and other upcoming events. Thank you for supporting Avalon!
We are very excited for the start of our Youth Leadership Council. Please check back to this page to see the work that these amazing young people are doing in their schools and in our local community. To learn more about this program, please contact Bridget or call (757) 258-5022 ext. 1016.
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One Night Without a Home
On Saturday, November 5, 2011 nearly 250 middle school and high school students, chaperones, guest speakers, volunteers, board members, community members and staff members participated in the 2nd Annual “One Night Without a Home” event hosted by Avalon: A Center for Women and Children. Held at the Jamestown 4-H Education Center, the proceeds from the event support homeless women and children in the Greater Williamsburg area and sponsors youth development in our community.
“One Night Without a Home” kicked off with a soup-kitchen style dinner, followed by discussion groups and educational activities for participants, such as listening to a Storyteller and going Dumpster Diving for snacks. Representatives from local churches, the James City Police Department and the United Way of Greater Williamsburg also came out to discuss homelessness with the youth. The participants then watched the movie “The Blind Side” and slept outside for the entire night in the cardboard boxes they brought with them.
A sincere thank you to the event partners and sponsors that include Jamestown 4-H Educational Center, Bloom, Blue Talon, Harris Teeter, Jim Goodridge with JPG Photo Events, Martin’s, St. Bede's Catholic Church, The Salvation Army, Williamsburg Event Rentals and Zina’s Produce.
Every year, nearly 1,000 Greater Williamsburg residents struggle with homelessness or are at great risk of finding themselves on the streets with nowhere to go. “One Night Without a Home" changes the way our community thinks and feels about those experiencing homelessness by offering an opportunity where teens learn about the root causes of homelessness and how they can become a part of the solution,” said Executive Director Sarah Meacham.
Avalon is already looking forward to the 3rd Annual “One Night Without a Home” event, which will take place November of 2012. Visit www.facebook.com/onenightwilliamsburg to see images from the event.
AVALON: A CENTER FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN is the only emergency shelter in the Greater Williamsburg area for women and children. Avalon provides shelter and support to those experiencing domestic violence, sexual assault and homelessness. By offering tools for safety, self-sufficiency, and empowerment, Avalon works to break the cycle of abuse and poverty and helps create a positive future. For help, call the 24- hour crisis line: (757) 258.5051. To learn more about Avalon, visit www.avaloncenter.org or www.facebook.com/avalonva.
