January 2025

Elora Philon and Cara Guiffre spent the end of last year volunteering at the Women’s Resource Center to End Domestic Violence. Elora and Cara spent the day helping to organize gifts for women and children donated by organizations. In addition, they helped transport gifts to the safe house and the supervised visit house.

While these volunteer opportunities are meant to give back to our community, work at such a charity can be sobering and eye-opening. According to Elora, “These women are literally starting over with little to nothing.” A glimmer of hope begins when each woman calls to ensure her and her child’s safety. Most of us will never have to make the choices these women make. As Elora stated, “These women are so strong and powerful to take the step to leave their situation. I left feeling incredibly lucky and thankful for what I have.”

According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, an average of twenty-four people per minute are victims of some form of domestic abuse. The Resource Center to End Domestic Violence was formed in 1985 to address the need for systemic changes and promote community education. Simply stated, their mission is to create a society in which domestic violence no longer exists. Support of these centers is vital to the safety and well-being of the women and children they serve.

HFR encourages our team to stay connected to their community by providing leave for employees to volunteer with a charity organization. We thank Cara and Elora for choosing the Women’s Resource Center to End Domestic Violence.