Movers, Students Make Mother's Day Special for Local Abuse Victims

STAMFORD, Conn. — Every woman should enjoy Mother’s Day, that is the philosophy being used by Norwalk’s Two Men and a Truck franchise, and Scofield Magnet Middle School who have collected thousands of items for the women at the Domestic Violence Crisis Center’s Stamford SafeHouse.

“As a mother the smallest thing means so much,” said Yara Almodovar, the office administrator for the Norwalk franchise and a mother of one.

She added she has spearheaded the annual Movers for Moms fundraiser because she loves to see “that smile” on the women of the shelter and has had different movers each year deliver to the shelter so they can experience it as well.

“They welcome us with wide open arms,” Almodovar said.

Leading the Scofield campaign was the school’s Builders’ Club sponsored by the Stamford Kiwanis Club, which was assisted by the school staff which offered several different incentives to students that brought in items. However, the students in the club were less focused on the extra credit and more concerned on helping as they donated more than 1,800 items for Movers for Moms.

“It’s close to home; it could be people we know that we’re helping,” said Anya Castle, the president of the club.

Nationally Two Men and a Truck was hoping to collect about 100,000 items for 50 shelters across 14 states in its fifth year operating the drive, a press release said. Last year was the most successful year to date for the program, collecting more than 65,000 items, the release said.

The items collected for the women included essential items, such as soaps and shampoos and comfort items, like slippers and blankets.

“Anything a mom would want,” Almodovar said.

“The generosity of local businesses, like Two Men and a Truck, and of the neighborhood schools that collect items is a great example of community partnership and support,” Cyndy Goldberg, director of the SafeHouse, said in the release.

In addition to the temporary shelter, the Domestic Violence Crisis Center offers victims from Fairfield County many different services at no charge, including counseling, legal and child care, to the release said.

The Domestic Violence Resource Center reports that one in four women experienced domestic violence in her lifetime, and estimates range from 960,000 to 3 million women are abused by their current or former spouse or significant other each year. Women account for about 85 percent of the victims in intimate partner incidents, and 74 percent of Americans know a victim of domestic violence, the center’s statistics also said.

“Every woman in the world is a mom,” said Michael Hernandez, co-vice president of the club, explaining that the meaning of the word mother means much more than just giving birth.

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