Big Volunteer Week – Victims of Abuse

We are getting ready for yet another wonderful Big Volunteer Week! This year, it will centre around the six groups of need in the city on which Serve the City focuses, namely: people who are homeless, people who are asylum seekers, people who are elderly, people with disabilities, children in need, victims of abuse.

This week we will discuss the situation of victims who have been abused.

It is our privilege to be in relationship with centers in the city that provide a refuge for women and children who have been abandoned or abused and are in need of shelter and care. Their needs are met with respect and care, and gradually the pieces of their lives are put back together so they can get back on their feet and live in safety.  Volunteers who show kindness through manicures and beauty treatments could be among the first people they have trusted with such physical contact since their abuse.

Studies show that 36 % of women in Belgium have been victims of violence and physical assault. Having been abused takes its toll on one’s life.  Recovering from the trauma and moving on is a slow, difficult process. There are various shelters in Brussels for people who have been abused, psychologically and physically, which offer care and advice so that they can recover their lives.

Serve the City’s volunteers try to lend a helping hand to the women and children who have been abused and help them learn to trust other people again and rebuild their self-confidence. Volunteers offer beautifying sessions with manicures, pedicures, make-up to help them appreciate themselves again or simple talk to them and listen to their stories in order to be of assistance through this difficult period in their life.