Faith in action
SAFER Resource for your church
SAFER is a brand new online resource produced to help churches support and prioritise victims of domestic and family violence, and know how to deal with perpetrators.
Read more“Imagine fearfully grabbing your children in the middle of the night to catch a taxi or run by foot to the closest domestic violence shelter. Or being driven by police to the local women's refuge after you’ve spent several hours at the hospital. What do you take with you? What do you leave behind? Wallet? Phone? Blanket?”
Domestic violence educator and policy advisor Rachel Neary says this is a very real scenario for many women experiencing or facing the fear of domestic and family violence.
“During my years as a caseworker at a women’s shelter women often arrived at our shelter with the bare minimum. Sometimes no shoes, sometimes no nappies for their babies, sometimes not even ID.
“One of the first thing that a woman often wanted when she arrived at the shelter (after a cup of tea and a chat) was a long, hot shower with a clean towel and some toiletries. We used to receive donations of hotel toiletries and new underwear which were really appreciated. But lovelier still were the special care packages that the local Baptist church would deliver to us every Christmas that gave each woman a new toiletries bag filled with necessities and some luxurious extras as well.”
SHARE THE DIGNITY is a fantastic way to help survivors staying in refuges around the country this Christmas. It’s a small but profound way to send your love and support, and to let women in these shelters know that we see them and they aren’t alone.
https://www.sharethedignity.com.au/christmas-charity/
