Women With A Vision is a New Orleans-based women's health organization with the following vision:
The mission of Women With A Vision is to improve the lives of marginalized women, their families, and communities by addressing the social conditions that hinder their health and well-being. We accomplish this through relentless advocacy, health education, supportive services, and community-based participatory research.
Someone objected to the fact that WWAV serves a clientele consisting of formerly incarcerated women, women with addictions, poor women of color and the transgender community.
Someone broke into the WWAV office late Thursday night and set it on fire.
WWAV made national news for leading the fight against Louisiana's Crimes Against Nature Statute, which targeted transgender women and poor women of color.
Major fire damage was done to a room which contained education and outreach materials. The arsonist seemed to have deliberately targeted this room. Destroyed were: three plastic and silicone breast models which were used to help people learn how to do self-examinations for breast cancer; a plastic pelvic model of a vagina; a two feet by one and a half foot plastic model of a woman's reproductive system; boxes of male and female condoms; flip charts demonstrating the dangers of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV; several wooden penises which were used for condom demonstration; and boxes of educational materials. The fires in that room seem to have been set with some accelerant and scorched the walls, ceiling fan and ceiling and destroyed everything in the room. . . . The offices were ransacked leaving drawers pulled out and papers and files on the floor. A TV and a laptop were taken but many valuables were left including computer monitors, office equipment, even some beer left over from a reception held earlier in the week. Several small fires were started inside the offices, in the bathroom, the hallway and in a sitting room.
--Bill Quigley, social justice attorney, who deemed the attack political in nature
We are fighters, we are warriors here at Women With a Vision, and we continue our work.
--Deon Haywood, executive director
WWAV posted a letter of outreach with a list of items needed if anyone is interested in making a donation.
We are in the process of finding a new permanent home, but also need immediate assistance with space. We have several coalition meetings that were to be held at the WWAV office next week, and our new micro-enterprise program is scheduled to launch early next week. New Orleans friends, do you have conference room space you can lend? Member programming will need to accommodate 10-15 people. Coalition events will bring together 20-25 people.
Items needed:
Suits/Dresses/Shoes to Restock our Clothing Bank
Donations to Replace our Office Furniture & Supplies
Donations to Replace Computers & Printer(s)
You can donate
money here via PayPal.
- $50 will buy a case of male condoms
- $100 will cover a month supply of harm reduction kits
- $250 will replace one of our reproductive health models
- $500 will enable us to make a month’s supply of hygiene kits
- $1000 will buy a case of female condoms; and
- $2000 to replace our two cases of OraSure rapid HIV tests