Domestic and family violence is alarmingly common, with one woman per week killed at the hands her a current or previous partner. To help support the many women who represent this shocking statistic, Vinnies provides 16 services tailored to relationship violence support across the state.
Jenny’s Story
Jenny was assisted by one of the Domestic Violence Refuges in NSW.
Escaping domestic violence, Jenny was faced with impossible choices at every turn. With three small children to think of, getting out of her situation was far from easy. Not only was Jenny’s husband routinely violent towards her, he even attacked her while she was pregnant.
Jenny had no illusions as to what a tough choice it would be to leave. “I didn’t have a roof over my head,” she says, “I didn’t have anything to eat, I didn’t know anyone.” But she found her courage, and took the impossible choice. “A wife would have stepped back, but a mother has to step forward,” she says.
Despite the risks Jenny decided to find a way out for the sake of her children. “It took me a lot of time, she says. “It took me eight years to say ‘no’, but it’s never too late, as they say. I just hope that no one else has to face the situation that I have: but if they have, they should say ‘no’ straight away.”
By the time she arrived at one of our domestic violence refuges in NSW, Jenny felt like she’d lost her humanity. But the refuge gave her breathing space to heal and grow as a person. “I came to know that I was still human when I was in the refuge, because it was a place where I could focus on myself as well,” says Jenny.
Meanwhile, Vinnies case workers assisted her with Centrelink, Medicare, and bank applications to help her stand on her own two feet. “I can say this,” Jenny explains, “that if I am standing and I am strong it’s because of these people. Because I was scattered, I was hopeless in every way… now I am starting to go out and see the world, expand and explore more of the world and what it looks like.”
The Supre Foundation has generously donated $66,593 so far to Vinnies to help us provide critical support to girls and women across the country impacted by COVID-19, specifically to victims of domestic violence during this unprecedented time. We are so grateful for the Supré community in helping us continue to provide crisis accommodation and shelter, and long-term support and friendship, for women and children wanting to build new lives and move away from relationship violence. In addition, from now until end of December, 100% of proceeds from all Supré Foundation products will be donated between Vinnies, Food Bank and Beyond Blue to help with food, shelter and mental health services for vulnerable women during this uncertain time.
You can make a difference with a Supre Foundation tote, lip balm, tissue pack or mints. They have also recently added a Supre Foundation mask to the collection to help curb the spread during COVID-19.
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