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CHANCES ARE
SECOND CHANCE EMPLOYMENT SERVICES PROVIDES FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE TO
BATTERED AND ABUSED WOMEN
According to the Second Chance Employment Services (SCES)
website, each year 4 million American women
are victims of
domestic violence by their partners. One in three women
experience at least one physical
assault by a partner. Three
women are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends in the
U.S. every day.
What do you have to say about that?
And more to the point, what can you do to help your sisters in need?
Well, you can start by reading this article and learning about Second Chance Employment Services, a nonprofit organization of human resources professionals who place at-risk women in meaningful employment positions free of charge. Second Chance is, in fact, the only employment placement agency for battered and abused women in the United States.
Currently serving the greater Washington DC and New York City areas, Second Chance was founded in 2001 by Dr. Ludy Green, an activist for domestic violence issues, who was working with women, children and young disadvantaged girls. Dr. Green parlayed her years of human resources experience, master’s degree in HR management and doctorate in industrial organization psychology as well as her passion for supporting the rights of women into a powerful and important organization that promotes financial security for at-risk women seeking long-term employment, aiming to also help this staggering population’s dependents—a simple idea with truly profound results.
“Our victims come from shelters, welfare-to-work programs, Department of Social Services and faith-based organizations,” says Dr. Green, who is also president of SCES. “The first step is the referral, so they come to us knowing that we are going to do our best to help them find employment. Next, we do what’s called an intake, in which we put the referral into our web-based organizational management system. It’s confidential—no one could see it—but it is important for us as we need to track the progress of the services. Also, we do an insightful interview in an effort to understand what these women’s needs are like [regarding] childcare, transportation, grooming or clothing. We also refer the women to psychologists, legal services, housing, etc., according to their needs.”
Dr. Green tells us that SCES works regularly with HR professionals who assist the organization as it transitions the women into new jobs. “We also train them with interviewing skills and résumé writing,” she adds. “We are there for them and we never say no, as they are women in need. We always figure out how to make them feel at home.”
With long-term goals to spread its services throughout the United States and get the private sector, government and community involved in the process as well as serve victims in other countries according to their needs and understanding of their cultures, SCES never loses sight of its overarching promise: to respect women and to help them in their times of need.
“Domestic violence in America is on the rise and we need to be aware that it is a cancer in our society,” Dr. Green says. “At SCES, we believe that the steps in helping at-risk women are caring, not judging, accepting—no matter what the circumstance, listening to their dreams and letting them know that they can make their dreams come true.”
How can you help?
| Volunteer | Dr. Green says: “TFG readers can volunteer their time with our organization by identifying jobs for our victims, becoming mentors and more. We also need people with media expertise and PR experience.” SCES is also seeking professionals willing to provide pro bono services in the areas of HR counseling, career training, legal, grant writing, communications and websites, image makeovers, dentistry, plastic surgery and psychology. |
| Donate | You can donate money through the SCES website (www.scesnet.org). You can also donate metro cards or be a part of a victim’s Christmas and/or Thanksgiving via gifts and food for them and their children. |
| Advocate | The organization is always seeking people to help them advocate on behalf of at-risk women. |
| Attend | SCES’s annual Last Kiss of Summer gala will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 23, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Georgetown. For information on this elegant and important black-tie event, please visit the SCES website. |
THE FAMILY GROOVE donates a percentage of its revenue to its featured Charity of the Month.
IN HER OWN WORDS: AGUSTINA’S STORY
“Nine years ago, I moved to the United States with my husband and our five children. At the time, my husband was not only abusing me physically, but also abusing one of our daughters sexually. When I finally found out that he was sexually abusing my little girl, I wanted to report him to the authorities, but he fled the country.
I was left homeless, with five very scared children to support and not knowing the English language.
At that time, I had no job and no hope to find a job. So I went to look for help at an organization called Ayuda, and they referred me to Second Chance.
As soon as I arrived at the offices of Second Chance, I felt safe and comfortable. I found that the people working there were compassionate and they listened to all of my needs. They also spoke Spanish and one of my obstacles in finding a job was not speaking English. They worked hard to meet my needs.
Second Chance provided me with everything from transportation to food for my family to accompaniment to legal proceedings. They provided emergency cash for a rental deposit and a couple months’ rent, plus moving expenses. They arranged childcare, a professional makeover, clothing and job training for me—and also a brand-new computer for my children’s homework. Then, they found me work, the key to supporting myself and my family. I am also studying English as a second language.
Second Chance has given me and my children the ability to get off the streets and start building a better future, a future without physical or sexual abuse.
I cannot thank the people at Second Chance enough for all that they have done. It is a great organization that is keeping the pieces of my life together, and for that my children and I are eternally grateful.”
