The phone rang 7 times every hour for a call for help to escape domestic violence in 2021.

As of 2022, 1 in 4 women experience domestic violence in Australia. Look around the room. Count for females. One is experiencing this. Still working from home? Think of the people you'd invite to your next special occasion - stop when you get to the 4th woman. One of those four is experiencing feeling unsafe at home.

Domestic violence does not discriminate against your income, your corporate title,? your family support system or any other false construct you have built around yourself to lead you to burst out in a “OMG! I would never have thought it would ever happen to them!” when you hear of a family breaking apart due to abuse.?

The LEADING cause of homelessness for women and children in Australia, is escaping domestic violence.?

This is the choice you are given:

1. Stay with the abuser, be beaten / emotionally abused and watch your children suffer the same. BUT, have a bed, a job, a shower and food for yourself and your children.
2. Escape the violence, live in your car (if you have one) or on the streets with your children (exposing them to street living dangers), try hold onto your job to pay for {exorbitant} childcare so you can keep working to keep paying for food and care, skip showers,? try hide your trauma from peers in hope of keeping the facade up - to get paid.?
3. Reach out and access crisis accommodation.

Crisis accommodation is only available for these women and children for up to two weeks. And then if they have no family or their family "doesn't want to get involved" , or they’re too ashamed to reach out for help from loved ones, their options are:

1. Return to abuser

2. Live on the streets / in the car

Which would you choose, for you and your children? Your daughter? Your sister? Your mother? Please choose. Because Domestic Violence does not discriminate and realistically, in a room of your family and friends, 1 in 4 of those women are making that choice daily.?

Whilst financial, housing and employment support does not address the root cause of this human rights violation (Blog on shaming the abuser instead of the victims to come later!) - it does give practical help to those who need it most.?

The Australian Salvation Army took 63 000 calls from Domestically abused people in 2021.??

The phone rang 7 times every hour for a call for help to escape domestic violence in 2021.?

This is what the funds raised for #theredshieldappeal2022 are being used for. To give practical assistance to those 63 000 people and all of the others in 2022 who are yet to pick up the phone.

I partner with The Salvation Army in the work that I do. I hear, see and feel the brokenhearted and broken spirited. I see the impact and investment the Salvation Army does for every person in need who reaches their hand out. From biscuits and a glass of water to paying for crisis accommodation and taxi fares to get to an interview. Salvation Army does it.?

There is hope. ??We are that hope.?

Check out Click here to donate if you'd like to help by way of financial donation.