How You Can Help

Personal safety is an essential element for achieving and sustaining personal wellness. In Australia, 1 in 3 women have experienced domestic violence and 50% of these women have children at the time that the violence occurs.

At ASWA, we believe that wellness should be within everyone’s reach. As part of ASWA’s wellness within project, we have partnerships with various community organisations such as Soroptimist International, RizeUp and Your Town that support women and children that have fled from situations of domestic violence with nothing other than the clothes that they are wearing. Many of these organisations have nil or very little government funding and as such, rely on the generosity and social conscience of those of us in the community to help where we can.

Everyone deserves to feel safe and that somebody cares about them. This is how we can help. There are a few key items that there is never enough supply of and that may be common resources within your organisation that may be made available to support these women and children at their most vulnerable time of need. Sought after items include:

• Sheets and Linen items – hotels may want to provide stock that is being updated for guest rooms or other facilities/outlets
• Pyjamas – all sizes – for children and women
• Toothbrushes – dentists may have complimentary stock items provided that they can provide – new only
• Toothpaste – new only
• Toys – all ages and types
• Shampoo and conditioner – new only
• Soap – new only
• Underwear– all sizes – for children and women – new only
• Individually packaged disposable razors – new only
• Hair combs – new only

For the items not listed as ‘new only’. They don’t need to be brand new or in perfect condition however, good condition items are required. Many of the refuges provide these items to the family to take with them to setup their new home to begin the next chapter of their journey, so think about what condition you would like items to be in when to be setting up your new safe haven with.

You can contact these community organisations directly or contact ASWA Founder Angela Derks directly via email – angela@aswa.net.au if you have any questions regarding donation of items.

• Soroptimist International is a professional womens non-government organisation with over 80,000 volunteer members in over 130 countries so there’s bound to be a club in your country that you can connect with.
• RizeUp and Your Town are both Australia-wide organisations.