COMMUNITY

From September, domestic violence survivors in Macarthur will have access to a variety of hamper packs designed to help them re-establish their lives with essential household items needed to live independently in a safe environment. The newly established New Beginnings Domestic and Family Violence Project, an initiative of local charity We Are Community, aims to empower survivors through restoration their sense of self, independence and dignity through the provision of high value donation hampers that contain essential equipment for survivors to cook, clean and live.

New Beginnings are offering 7 different essentials hamper packs, catering for kitchen, cleaning, manchester, food, clothing, toiletry, and pet needs, which, in their experience, is what survivors need most when fleeing violent and abusive situations. “Most survivors leave abusive and dangerous situations with only the clothes on their back, their children, and pets. There is grand urgency in fleeing their premises and this really restricts the time required to organize, and gather essentials needed to move into a new property” Managing Director of New Beginnings, Rayen Martinez says, “these hamper packs have the essential items required to start a new life, to instill hope, to care for themselves, their families and create a safe environment.”

The project will officially be launched on September 22, with a DFV forum being held at Wests League Club, where guests will hear direct lived experience of domestic and family violence. The event also aims to raise awareness of the enduring impact of domestic and family violence, the challenges survivors face in re-establishing their lives and the importance of community support for survivors who are healing from DFV trauma.

Wests are funding the first 10 hamper packs being offered by New Beginnings via the ClubGRANTS Scheme, with packs being distributed via existing domestic violence services in Macarthur. “We’re proud to be the first to support New Beginnings and believe in the vision that We Are Community embody through their community work” Wests Group Macarthur CEO, Daniel Perkiss said today.

Tickets for the New Beginnings Domestic and Family Violence Project DV Forum are available now for a small fee at https://shorturl.at/rOY78 .

We are Community was established in 2018 and offer food relief, community outreach and domestic violence support both in Macarthur and across NSW. For more information on New Beginnings and We are Community, visit https://wearecommunity.org.au/new-beginnings-dv-program/