Delaware Womenade’s Pickleball Fundraiser Delivered $58,000 for Domestic Violence Support
A Delaware pickleball fundraiser brought in more than $58,000. Delaware Womenade directs that community energy toward the things families in crisis can use immediately, from gift cards and shelter supplies to support for foster youth living independently.
The van filled in layers. Gift cards slid between wrapped presents. Handmade jewelry joined the pile. By the close of Delaware Womenade’s 2025 Holiday Wish Drive, the group reported that donations for mothers and children in shelter had filled an entire van.
That image tells the real story better than a gala photo ever could. A family leaving violence or trying to hold steady in shelter needs items with immediate uses: a gift card, school supplies, a comfort gift, funding that can reach the people already doing the daily work. After relocating to Bethany Beach in 2010, Teresa Zatcoff started Delaware Womenade in 2011 in partnership with People’s Place in Milford.
“Our mission is to support women and their children who are victims and survivors of domestic violence.”
— Delaware Womenade
How Lewes donors support domestic violence survivors
Delaware Womenade works with a refreshingly grounded toolkit. Its Holiday Wish Drive gathers monetary donations, gift cards, and gifts for moms and children in shelter. Its Back to School Drive collects supplies and gift cards for children in shelter and for young people in People’s Place’s Independent Living Program.
The organization also provides monetary and in-kind support connected to People’s Place, What Is Your Voice, and other safe houses serving women and children affected by domestic violence. For current and former foster youth, Delaware Womenade funds support through the Independent Living Program, where the goal is self-sufficiency and independent living.
Games Day donations helped make an expansion project possible at the People’s Place shelter in Sussex County.
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Pickleball money has already traveled far beyond the court
At Delaware Womenade’s 2025 Dink Out Domestic Violence pickleball fundraiser, participants, sponsors, and volunteers gathered on the court and helped raise more than $58,000. That is a serious result for a grassroots Delaware organization, especially because the money joins an operation built around repeatable local fundraisers and established service partners.
Delaware Womenade reports that a $15,000 Broadway Dreams donation helped women and children escape domestic violence and build safer futures. Its Games Day fundraising also supported renovations at a People’s Place shelter in Kent County and an expansion project in Sussex County. In 2025, People’s Place named Delaware Womenade its Group Supporter of the Year.
The Kent County renovations and Sussex County expansion put event proceeds into the shelters serving women and children.
The current list is a donor’s assignment
Delaware Womenade’s current-needs list still includes monetary donations; Visa, Walmart, Amazon, or Wawa gift cards; school supplies; and in-kind donations for moms and children in shelter. Because needs vary, monetary donations give Delaware Womenade room to respond quickly.
For a Lewes donor who wants to support domestic violence survivors, a gift card is an excellent place to start. It gives Delaware Womenade a usable resource for women and children connected to shelter services, while monetary gifts also sustain domestic-violence support and the Independent Living Program for current and former foster youth.
The clearest choices are Visa, Walmart, Amazon, or Wawa gift cards; school supplies; in-kind gifts for moms and children in shelter; or monetary donations that can meet changing needs across the Holiday Wish Drive and Independent Living Program.
Frequently asked questions
- How can I support domestic violence survivors in Lewes and Sussex County?
- Delaware Womenade serves Delaware, especially Sussex and Kent Counties, through funding and in-kind support connected to safe-house partners. Current needs include monetary gifts, Visa, Walmart, Amazon, or Wawa gift cards, school supplies, and donated items for moms and children in shelter.
- What does Delaware Womenade do with donations?
- Donations support women and children affected by domestic violence, gifts and gift cards for families in shelter, school supplies, and current and former foster youth in the People’s Place Independent Living Program.
- Does Delaware Womenade support foster youth?
- Yes. Delaware Womenade provides necessary funding for current and former foster youth in the People’s Place Independent Living Program, supporting their path toward self-sufficiency and independent living.
- How much did Dink Out Domestic Violence raise?
- Delaware Womenade reports that its third annual Dink Out Domestic Violence pickleball event raised more than $58,000 in 2025.
- delawarewomenade.org ↗
- Delaware Womenade was founded in 2011 by Teresa Zatcoff in Bethany Beach, Delaware, and focuses on women and children who are victims and survivors of domestic violence as well as current and former foster youth.
- The organization’s 2025 Dink Out Domestic Violence event raised more than $58,000 through community fundraising.
- Delaware Womenade provides monetary and in-kind support connected to domestic-violence services, including support for People's Place, and provides necessary funding for current and former foster youth.
- During the 2025 Holiday Wish Drive, donated gifts for mothers and children in shelter filled an entire van.
- People's Place recognized Delaware Womenade as its Group Supporter of the Year for 2025.