Las Vegas' The Shade Tree Shelter Opens Children's Library For Young Victims Of Domestic Abuse

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LAS VEGAS, NV — Children who call The Shade Tree their temporary home can now find literary refuge at a library established by Jewish Women International (JWI) and the Verizon Foundation.

The Verizon Foundation donated $10,000 to JWI’s National Library Initiative for the Las Vegas facility, the newest of 44 libraries established in the nation.

JWI’s National Library Initiative is working in partnership with volunteers, businesses and corporations to establish 100 children’s libraries in domestic violence shelters across the United States. Each library provides a chance for children enduring difficult circumstances to continue to learn and grow, according to JWI officials.

Last fiscal year, more than 1,000 homeless and abused children received safe shelter and services at The Shade Tree.  JWI and Verizon are proud to help provide the funds to create a library – complete with 350 new books, small and large rocking chairs, bookcases, a study table and chairs and area rugs. 

JWI’s National Library Initiative was launched in 2006 as an effort to reach the youngest victims of domestic violence and place them on a path to educational stability, emotional recovery and future success. Children fleeing abusive situations suffer from emotional trauma as well as an interruption in their education. This can lead to permanent academic deficits and later workforce challenges, as well as a continuing risk of entering into abusive relationships in their teens and adult lives. The library program breaks the cycle of violence by creating safe spaces within shelters where children can study, read, do homework and form a healthy bond with their mothers.

“Our National Library Initiative would not be as successful without the tremendous support of corporations like Verizon, a company equally committed to domestic violence awareness and prevention,” said Lori Weinstein, executive director of JWI. “We are both committed to making a difference in the communities where we live and work.”

Community members are encouraged to help fill the shelves by donating new children’s books to the library. For more information on how to make donations, please contact Rachael Sablotsky, of Jewish Women International, at 800-343-2823 or rsablotsky@jwi.org.

About Jewish Women International
Jewish Women International is the leading Jewish organization empowering women and girls through economic literacy, community training, healthy relationships education, and the proliferation of women’s leadership. Our innovative programs, advocacy, and philanthropic initiatives protect the fundamental rights of all girls and women to live in safe homes, thrive in healthy relationships, and realize the full potential of their personal strength. For more information, please visit www.jwi.org or contact us at 800-343-2823.

About The Shade Tree
The Shade Tree is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of women, children and their animals affected by domestic violence in the Las Vegas valley for over twenty years. As the only organization with an animal shelter on campus, named Noah’s Animal House, The Shade Tree brings families together with their pets and connects them with assistance and services. The Shade Tree is the largest shelter of its kind in Nevada and is the only 24-hour accessible shelter designed specifically to meet the needs of women and children in Southern Nevada. With 364 permanent beds, The Shade Tree provides over 100,000 nights of shelter each year. To remove any barrier that might prevent a woman from accessing necessary services for she and her children, 100% of our services are provided completely free of charge, regardless of the length of stay. To learn more about The Shade Tree, please visit www.theshadetree.org.

About the Verizon Foundation
The Verizon Foundation is focused on accelerating social change by using the company’s innovative technology to help solve pressing problems in education, health care and energy management. Since 2000, the Verizon Foundation has invested more than half a billion dollars to improve the communities where Verizon employees work and live. Verizon’s employees are generous with their donations and their time, having logged more than 6.2 million hours of service to make a positive difference in their communities. For more information about Verizon’s philanthropic work, visit www.verizonfoundation.org; or for regular updates, visit the Foundation on Facebook (www.facebook.com/verizonfoundation) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/verizongiving).

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