Women's Coalition of Milwaukee facts for kids

The Women's Coalition of Milwaukee was a special group that worked in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from 1972 to 1987. It was started by women who were part of the local National Organization for Women (NOW) chapter. Their main goal was to help women and speak up for their concerns. They wanted to fight against unfair treatment based on gender. They also aimed to teach women about their legal rights, job opportunities, and health. The Coalition helped new groups focused on women's issues and created new ways to support women in the community.

Key Moments in Time

• October 1972: The Women's Coalition of Milwaukee opened its doors.
• January 1973: The Women's Crisis Line started helping people.
• October 1973: The organization became a non-profit group.
• 1974: The Coalition received its first big funding.
• 1975: The Task Force on Battered Women was created.
• May 1975: The Women's Crisis Line became an independent organization.
• October 1976: The first Wisconsin Conference on Battered Women took place.
• November 1976: The Task Force on Battered Women began to become independent.
• July 1978: Sojourner Truth House, a shelter, opened its doors.
• 1979: The Task Force on Battered Women became fully independent.
• 1979: The Women's Crisis Line joined with the Counseling Center of Milwaukee.
• 1981: Sojourner Truth House expanded to help more people.
• 1986: The Women's Crisis Line became part of the Women's Health Institute.

How It All Started

The Women's Coalition of Milwaukee was started by dedicated women. These "founding mothers" included Sharon Senese, Judy Anderson, Carolyn Mueller, Ellen Guiseppi, and Susan Luecke. At first, the Coalition relied only on volunteers and small donations. They offered workshops on many topics. These included self-defense, legal rights, women's history, health, childcare, and feminism.

As they grew, the Coalition gained more attention. They received their first major funding in 1974. This included a $1,000 grant from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. They also got $500 from the United Church of Christ for educational programs. The IBM company donated printing equipment worth $1,700. The biggest help came from United Community Services, which gave them $3,200. This money allowed the Coalition to hire its first paid staff members.

Important Projects

The Women's Crisis Line

The very first project of the Women's Coalition of Milwaukee was the Women's Crisis Line. It is still helping people today at Milwaukee's Good Samaritan Medical Center. This line was created to offer help that other services were not providing. About thirty volunteers worked in shifts around the clock. All the workers were women, as the center was created by women for women. This helped them relate to the callers.

The information from callers helped the Coalition understand community needs. This led to other programs, like the Task Force on Battered Women. The Crisis Line was a big success. It showed how the Coalition aimed to create new ways to support women. The Crisis Line also had a special way of helping. They believed in giving women all choices and letting them decide for themselves. They felt that women should not be told what to do by others.

The Crisis Line quickly became very busy. In its first month, it received 119 calls. A year later, it got 755 calls in one month. By mid-1977, they were getting between 1,200 and 1,500 calls each month. People called about relationships, family issues, divorce, feeling sad, legal questions, and health concerns. The Crisis Line only sent people to services that treated women fairly and with respect.

The Women's Crisis Line became so successful that its director, Karen Coy, wanted it to become independent. This was mainly for financial reasons. In May 1975, it became a separate organization. However, it stayed in touch with the Women's Coalition of Milwaukee. The Coalition is often called its "mother" organization. Later, in 1979, the Crisis Line joined with the Counseling Center of Milwaukee. In 1986, it became part of the Women's Health Institute.

Task Force on Battered Women

The information from the Women's Crisis Line showed a clear need for help for women experiencing violence. Nova Clite and Virginia Ray started this effort. The Coalition felt that there was not enough awareness about this problem. They also knew that women facing violence needed a safe place to go.

So, in 1975, the Women's Coalition of Milwaukee started the Task Force on Battered Women. This group offered counseling, shelter, and other services for women and their children. The Coalition wanted to understand why this problem was so common. They believed that violence against women showed an unfair power balance between genders. They hoped that society would change so that women were treated equally. While working for long-term change, they also knew that immediate help was needed for women in Milwaukee.

The Task Force grew in 1976. They raised donations, increasing their budget to $13,000. This money helped train counselors. It also led to the first Wisconsin Conference on Battered Women in October 1976. This event featured feminist writer Lisa Leghorn and took place at the Milwaukee YWCA.

Like the Women's Crisis Line, the Task Force on Battered Women also sought to become independent. In November 1976, they moved to West Fond du Lac Avenue. They became fully independent in 1979 and moved again to Mitchell Street. The organization continued to do well. It even inspired other groups to form, like the Sojourner Truth House.

Sojourner Truth House

The Sojourner Truth House was created to provide a safe escape for women in dangerous situations. Rosemary Caravella had already started an unofficial network of safe homes. However, these could not offer as much care as a dedicated shelter. This led to the idea for Sojourner Truth House.

Opening the shelter was a long and difficult process, taking almost three years. They worked with lawyers, politicians, and social services. They also dealt with contractors, insurers, and city officials. Finally, Family Hospital leased a building to the Task Force for a small amount of money. Local foundations, United Way, and federal grants helped fund the new shelter.

The first facility opened in July 1978. It had room for 18 women and children. In 1981, it expanded to hold 32 women and children. The efforts of Sojourner Truth House also inspired other organizations. Two other shelters, the Milwaukee Women's Refuge and Waukesha's Sister House, opened in the Milwaukee area. Also, three major hospitals (Children's, Northwest General, and Good Samaritan) created special units to treat victims of violence.

The Task Force on Battered Women continued to offer counseling and support groups. The number of people they helped grew steadily each year. In 1976, about 400 people received aid. By 1983, this number jumped to 6,000. In 1986, the Task Force helped 10,700 women and children. According to Co-Director Connie Corrao, this increase showed that more people knew about the support services available. This important organization is still helping people in Milwaukee today. You can find more information at: Sojourner Truth House website.