Broken homes, homelessness and domestic violence are just a few of the ills that plague local communities. The Women’s Auxiliary continues its year-round efforts to help make a less threatening, friendlier environment and lives are better for it.

A few of the Auxiliary’s more recent activities includes the annual Laundry Baskets for Domestic Violence Project benefiting the Battered Women’s Shelter sponsored by the YWCA. Baskets filled with cleaning supplies are donated to the shelter and sanctuary apartments to help distressed women and their children. Victims of domestic violence sometimes arrive in the middle of the night with nothing and special projects like this help with both women entering the shelters, or transitioning into their own homes.  Thanksgiving grocery bags filled with  “all the fixings” were brought to the shelter “special delivery” as well in November to help ease the distress of families in need.

Several other projects added some much needed uplift in spirit to families in need, fulfilling the traditional role of churches- to be a source of goodwill and friendship in the community. This past Christmas, hundreds of toys were donated and distributed to the following groups: LA County Dependent Care (Social Services), LA Police Department Central Division and North East Division, the Burbank Coordinating Council and at the Migrant Worker’s Christmas party held at the Church of Scientology of the Valley. The toy giveaways benefited underprivileged children who would not have otherwise received any gifts for Christmas.

For more information on the Women’s Auxiliary of the Church of Scientology of the Valley, contact Lisa Malm, president, at (323) 899-4760. For more information on the Glendale YWCA and its domestic violence program shelter, contact Devon Malick at devonmalick@glendaleywca.org.