Oct. 18, 2018
By Chris Woodley, cwoodley@mailbox.sc.edu
According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States. October is Relationship Violence Awareness Month, and one Bachelor of Social Work student helped lead a drive to support a local women’s shelter for victims of domestic violence.
As part of her field practicum, Erin Woods works at Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention and Prevention, which is a service of the University of South Carolina’s Student Health Services. She worked with several on-campus organizations to collect household products for Sistercare, a women’s shelter in Columbia.
“My boss at SAVIP presented his planning for Relationship Violence Awareness Month,” said Woods. “The event that stuck out the most to me was the Supply Drive for Sistercare. I loved the idea because I worked with Sistercare in the past through my sorority Alpha Chi Omega. Their philanthropy is domestic violence awareness, and I saw firsthand how Sistercare provides exceptional services for survivors of domestic violence.”
The Supply Drive for Sistercare was held from Oct. 1-15 with four drop-off locations in Hamilton College, the SAVIP office, Alpha Chi Omega House in the Greek Village, and the Arnold School of Public Health. SAVIP, along with their partners Alpha Phi Omega, Alpha Chi Omega and the UofSC student government, collected enough supplies to fully stock Sistercare’s donation closet that supplies their Richland and Lexington county shelters.
“The Supply Drive was a great way to advocate for Sistercare's needs and raise awareness for all they do in the community,” said Woods. “In turn, we (SAVIP) established great partnerships for the drive with the College of Social Work, Arnold School of Public Health, Alpha Chi Omega and student government. Faculty and students were so supportive of the drive, and this experience made me excited to pursue a career in a field that values advocacy, awareness and support for populations in need.”