Thank you to everyone who gave to the St Vincent’s Curran Foundation Healing, Hope and Humanity Christmas Appeal to support St Vincent’s Open Support.
Together we raised close to $190,000, which will make a life-changing difference for many women and children in urgent need of recovery model programs and ongoing services.
Your generosity enables us to help survivors move beyond crisis towards safety, recovery, and long-term wellbeing and is a powerful catalyst for change. It enables us to provide 20 families with dedicated case managers in our crisis accommodation, and secure private housing for three families in need of stability and safety. A special thank you to Damien and Josephine O’Brien for their major gift in support of the appeal.
St Vincent’s Open Support works directly with women and children escaping violence. One in four women in Australia experiences domestic violence, regardless of age, race, or background.
Our crisis accommodation provides safety for up to eight families at a time while they transition to permanent housing and we use a unique recovery model which includes counsellors and psychologists – specialising in PTSD, domestic violence, and sexual assault counselling. We have dedicated expert support for the children who have their own complex needs.
One of our clients beautifully expressed the impact of your support:
“For the first time, I feel positive about the future. After having been in many places and not feeling safe, here, for the first time, I now do feel safe. I am treated with respect, and my children are well and happy.”
In 2023-24, St Vincent’s Open Support helped 93 people, 38 women and 55 children fleeing domestic violence. This year, we expect to support at least 110 victims/survivors. We are now also able to accommodate boys over the age of 12 with their mothers.
Your contribution brings healing and hope empowering women and children to rebuild their lives and create brighter futures. We look forward to sharing more stories of the incredible impact you make possible. Thank you.