ALICAS, a charity that was co-founded by domestic abuse survivor Rachael Bews, has launched across the UK to “end the shame for people in clothing crisis”.
Women who are leaving situations of physical or sexual violence often have few or any belongings and rely on donations to help rebuild their lives. But offerings of clothes, though well-meaning, are often passed on “unwashed, in poor condition and in the bin bags they came in,” said Bews, which can serve to further erode women’s self-esteem.
“It was a lady named Ali who told me that a good coat and pair of shoes were key to rebuilding her life,” said Bews, who described it as a passing comment that changed her life forever.
