The Jean Crews Center for Women and Families

10/13/2026

🩷 Turning pain into purpose. Honoring those we've lost, celebrating survivors, and championing the importance of early detection. 🕊️Repost from VMG Culture & Entertainment:

"This October, during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we are honoring those who have turned their pain into purpose.

After losing his mother and four aunts to breast cancer, former NFL player DeAngelo Williams dedicated himself to fighting the disease.
Through TheDeAngeloWilliamsFoundation, he helps provide free mammograms to women who might otherwise struggle to afford them.

His story is a powerful reminder of the importance of early detection, raising awareness and supporting those affected by breast cancer.

Let’s continue honoring those we’ve lost, celebrating survivors and encouraging women to get screened."

10/13/2026

❤️ A little kindness can make a big difference. Samaritan House urgently needs essential items to support individuals and families fleeing violence. 🏠💜

If you're able to give, please consider donating. Every contribution helps provide comfort, safety, and hope to those in need. 🙏🏽

We have an urgent need for the following items to help those fleeing violence:
❣ Air Mattresses (Twin, Full & Queen Sizes)
❣ Sheet Sets (Twin, Full & Queen Sizes)
❣ Blankets (Twin, Full & Queen Sizes)
❣ Pillows
❣ Total Mattress Encasements/Zippered Covers (Twin Size)
❣ Pots & Pans

These items can be purchased directly through our Amazon Wish List at https://qrco.de/bg9iIz. In the Gift Message at checkout, please include your name and contact information for acknowledgments for tax purposes.

Donations can also be dropped off to our Donation Department from Monday-Thursday from 10a-3p (closed this Friday for the WAV Luncheon). Please do not leave donations of your items outside of our building.

Questions? Please contact our Marketing Manager, Kelsey
📞 (757) 738-5749
📧 [email protected]

12/26/2025

🎙️ Episode 7 — Now Live!
This week on 2 Sides of the Same Convo, we sit down with Andy Polanco — a leader, thinker, and bridge-builder who’s reshaping what community impact looks like.

No scripts. No performances. Just honesty, perspective, humor, and the real-life lessons that made him who he is.

If you care about growth, accountability, and community — this convo is for you. Tap in 👇🏾
🎧 Watch & listen on YouTube, Spotify & Apple Podcasts via

*In this powerful conversation, we sit down with Andy Polanco from Lawrence whose life reflects the complexity, beauty, and struggle of the city that raised ...

12/26/2025

12/26/2025

"Psychologist Joy Harden Bradford says to be aware of the harmful things we might say to ourselves.

So the next time you're tempted to disparage your looks or criticize your decision-making, ask yourself: would I talk this way to my best friend? If not, practice "using the same kind and gentle language that we use with the people we love" on yourself, says Bradford. "Because we're also people who we hopefully love, right?"" via NPR

Can't stop thinking mean thoughts about yourself? Researchers and psychologists share how to break the cycle.

12/26/2025

12/26/2025

12/26/2025

The holidays can be overwhelming.
They can surface grief, fear, exhaustion, and memories tied to harm or loss. For survivors of domestic violence and trauma, this season may feel less like celebration and more like survival.

If you’re having a hard time, you are not weak and you are not alone.
Struggling does not mean you’ve failed the holidays—it means you are human.

If you don’t feel safe where you are, or with someone close to you, help is available.
Our advocates are here to listen, support, and walk with you—during the holidays and beyond.

📞 Call the 24/7 National Domestic Violence Hotline
1.800.799.SAFE (7233)

12/26/2025

For many families, the holidays come with layered stress—
financial pressure, grief, memory, survival, and the expectation to be “strong.”

You do not owe anyone strength today.
You are allowed softness.
You are allowed support.
You are allowed to pause.

12/25/2025

A gentle reminder.....💞