2009 marks Milwaukee's third annual Walk a Mile in Her Shoes®, presented by Verizon Wireless. This unique event is a collaborative fundraiser for:
- Jewish Family Services
- Sojourner Truth House *
- Task Force on Family Violence *
This fundraiser invites all men, women and children to participate, and encourages men to walk one mile in women's high-heeled shoes to show support for the domestic violence and sexual assault prevention efforts of the three Milwaukee-area agencies.
The mission of Jewish Family Services is to provide supportive services that will strengthen families, children and individuals throughout the lifecycle within the context of their unique needs and traditions.
JFS began a partnership with the Jewish Coalition on Interpersonal Violence (CHAI) and several committed lay activists in 1997. The goals of the partnership are to raise awareness of domestic violence within the Jewish community — and the community at large — and help women and children living in abusive relationships. JFS provides services to people of all faiths, incomes and lifestyles through direct case management, violence prevention efforts, referrals and advocacy.
Through the CHAI program, JFS provides educational programming, such as Adults & Children Together (ACT) Against Violence, Men Opposing Violence Early (MOVE), and Six Critical Conversations: Talking With Your Teen.
Sojourner Truth House operates Milwaukee’s oldest and largest shelter for abused women and their children. They have provided safety and support services to thousands of families since 1978. Other programs include the 24-hour Domestic Violence Hotline, Domestic Abuse Victim Advocates in the Milwaukee District Attorney’s Office, Belle Resource Center for Women and Children, and Batterers Anonymous—Beyond Abuse, for men and women seeking alternatives to their abusive behavior. Sojourner Truth House served over 24,000 people in 2006.
The Task Force on Family Violence has a fundamental belief in the individual right to safety and belief that each human being, whether an adult or child, should have an opportunity to live free from the terror of domestic violence. TFFV's Courthouse Restraining Order Clinic is the front door to the civil justice system for nearly 5,000 abused individuals each year. Each client is provided advocacy and in-depth case management services, support groups for survivors, educational groups for women offenders, classes for protective parents, and working children who are at high risk of being abused or have been abused.