About JWI’s National Library Initiative (NLI)
For a woman fleeing an abusive relationship, the immediacy of danger often means leaving home with only her children and the clothes on their backs.
JWI helps ease this traumatic upheaval by creating children's libraries in domestic violence shelters - transforming basic spaces into comforting havens with colorful furniture and rugs, computers and toys, and hundreds of new books that represent the diversity of the women and children served.
For kids whose lives have been upended by violence, JWI libraries provide a safe place to relax, escape into a book, and keep up with homework when they're most at risk of falling behind.
Our goal is to complete 100 fully-furnished new libraries in shelters across the country, and restock the shelves as each child leaves the shelter with a favorite book in hand, ready to start a new life.
In 2022, JWI launched two new spaces for teens and women living in shelters to find respite and comfort.
The new spaces are peaceful oases where survivors and their teen children can access laptops to find employment and do schoolwork, quietly read, and heal together.
JWI’s National Library Initiative includes:
Children’s Libraries
For kids whose lives have been upended by violence, JWI creates libraries in domestic violence shelters to provide a safe place to relax, escape into a book, and keep up with homework.
Resiliency Rooms
This brand-new concept for survivors living in domestic violence shelters provides a calming space where survivors can read, journal, meditate, look for jobs, and find rest and renewal. The first Resiliency Room debuted in My Sister's Place.
See the beautiful Resiliency Rooms design for My Sister's Place here. Thank you to Erika Jayne Chaudhuri and her team for donating the initial design of the Resiliency Room.
This new Resiliency Rooms are generously supported by The Joan Margolius Cherner Fund.
Teen Spaces
These new spaces help ease the traumatic upheaval faced by the teen residents of domestic violence shelters. Each teen space will have comfortable, colorful, and modern seating areas, age-appropriate books, and laptops and printers for schoolwork. The spaces will provide moments of calm, inspire learning and education, and provide comfort during tumultuous moments of transition for survivors' teen children.
The first Teen Space debuted in My Sister's Place with the generous support of the Slotkin Family.
Join us for an upcoming National Library Initiative event!
“When we left our home we were not able to bring our books. The children’s library has been a blessing to us. It offers an opportunity for me and my children to escape to a world of imagination during such a stressful time in our lives.”
“I like the library because it has comfortable chairs and I can read and relax at the same time.”
“When you live in a violent situation, that becomes your normal. With routines and rituals such as reading and learning together, JWI is redefining what’s normal to a child.”
Every opportunity to learn is a chance to succeed.
Help JWI add books, technology, a steady stream of school supplies to our libraries across the U.S., so the youngest residents of domestic violence shelters can access the education they need.
JWI Shelter Libraries
MORE LIBRARIES ARE NEEDED!
Many shelters have expressed a need for a children's library. If you're interested in establishing one, please email Meredith Jacobs.
