When you’re living with family violence, you live in fear.
And the violence you face every day doesn’t take a break for Christmas. Sadly, it often gets worse.
Because over the holidays you’re in each other’s pockets. There can be tension over whose family you spend time with, or who will have the children.
The financial and emotional pressures to make Christmas the perfect day, are why we are expecting to see more mothers and their children fleeing family violence. Desperately seeking safety and crisis care.
Jane’s story: Your kindness means you’re always by her side
When you’re fleeing family violence, the future often looks scary.
You want to leave but where can you live where your violent partner can’t find you? How will you support yourself? How will your children cope with their lives being turned upside down?
That’s why women living with family violence leave 7 times, on average, before they’re able to leave for good.
Women like Jane* who tried her hardest to keep her children and herself safe. But she simply didn’t have the support she needed to start again on her own.
For mothers like Jane, it can come down to simply keeping a roof over your head.
Uniting care worker, Deb, shares how she works with families and how complex escaping family violence can be:
“Sometimes you can help families find a few nights in a local caravan park, but you always have to consider if it’s safe and somewhere they’re not likely to run into the perpetrator.
“So some women and their kids will end up sleeping in the car.
“That’s when we’re looking at where will you be sleeping? What will you need? Do you have blankets? Where can you get a hot meal that night?”
This is the reality many women leaving violent partners are facing today. The risk of homelessness is all too real. And if you have children, this risk is even higher.
In Jane’s case, the kindness of our Uniting supporters helped provide practical care like groceries, household items, and the care of a support worker. Jane’s support worker helped her understand the patterns of family violence and walked with her through the process of finding long-term safe housing.
“Previously, Jane would have gone back to the situation of family violence. But this time, she was able to build a relationship with her support worker and is now in stable housing in her ‘forever home’ … It’s absolutely brilliant,” shares Deb.
Through Uniting, you can also help provide counselling and mental health support for women like Jane. After so much trauma, your kindness helps break the cycle of violent relationships, so women and children can begin to heal.
Please show your care for mothers and children this Christmas.
Rachel’s child: Your generosity means special comfort for children
At age 11, Sam* had seen his dad physically and verbally assault his mum Rachel*. Despite his young age, he’s stepped up to protect her countless times.
And in the midst of violence, Sam found comfort in his best friend: his cat.
After years of terrible abuse, Rachel was able to get a family violence order against her husband. He was removed from the home. But with her lease ending and rents skyrocketing, Rachel couldn’t find another home she could afford.
Because of help from Uniting supporters, we were able to find a place for her, Sam and their beloved cat in a women’s refuge.
Right now, mothers like Rachel need your care as they take the crucial first steps of leaving an abusive situation. Please donate today to show care this Christmas.
Here’s how your gift will give urgent care and kindness:
✓ Your gift can help provide groceries so a mother doesn’t need to worry about how she’ll feed her children, and can just be there for them
✓ Your gift can help provide bedding and household essentials when a family is starting again from scratch, to make a new house a home
✓ Your gift can help provide crisis housing in a safe place so a family can rebuild their lives, finally free of fear
*This is a true story about real people. Some details such as names have been changed to respect the wishes of the people featured.
