When most brides-to-be put together a wish list for their bridal shower, it may include household essentials, kitchen gadgets, or perhaps a personalized cutting board with their new last name. But for Molly M., those traditional gifts felt unnecessary. “I have plenty,” she explained. Instead of receiving money and presents, Molly asked her friends and family to join her in giving back to the community by donating to the Milwaukee Women’s Center, a division of Community Advocates.

The Milwaukee Women’s Center’s Older Abused Women’s Program (OAWP), founded by advocate Carol Seaver in 1992, was one of the first domestic violence programs in the nation to address the specific needs of older women. Its goal is to reduce and eliminate violence and abuse in the lives of women ages 50 and older who have been victimized by their intimate partners or adult children.