Nowhere to go
Majority of people have the image of a person ending up on the street because of their own doing, but that's not the case. There's multiple factors that can make someone homeless, and one of them is domestic violence.
It takes a long time for someone to know that they're experiencing family violence. It is estimated that it takes about seven times. So, a woman tries seven times before leaving the relationship. And that's not because they don't want to leave. They're still holding on to hope.
Maybe this person will change.
Maybe this will change.
Maybe it's my fault.
The moment that they choose to leave, and they face this homelessness situation, or they face a point where a service cannot go any further, it discourages them and then the whole cycle starts all over again.
I remember the first time that I had a victim-survivor who had just given birth and the child passed away in the hands of the PUV.
This was eight years ago till this moment is still with me. It was my worst nightmare, and I can't imagine being in her situation as well, knowing that the person she loved the most killed their baby.
I think nearly every week we have more than three or four returning back to their home. It could be because they don't have a place to go.
They see the system is too complicated for them. So, they return back. It's better that I I'm used to, to this so I'll go back. And it's so heartbreaking because at times we don't have enough resources to be able to support them through the journey. And it leaves the person without any support.
It's the change knowing that I have an impact on someone's life. And when you help one person, you help many people because that person will be able to help someone else. It keeps me going really.
And knowing that a woman is free and continuing to grow and grow independent each day, it gets me through.
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Diane has spent years on the frontline as a Domestic and Family Violence Case Worker at VincentCare Victoria. In this video, she cuts through the statistics to share the reality: women and children fleeing violence often have nowhere safe to go — and without enough resources, case workers are left watching families face an impossible choice between danger and homelessness.
That's why the Vinnies CEO Sleepout matters. On 18 June, business and community leaders will sleep out to raise funds for the housing, support and pathways that give people escaping domestic violence a real chance at safety and stability.