Mary’s House is a crisis accommodation service on the Lower North Shore of Sydney that supports women and children who have experienced domestic violence – one of the few such services on the North Shore. The families coming to the service have often had to leave their homes in a rush, with only the clothes on their backs and a child’s favourite toy in their hand.
With the assistance of a Club GRANT from Norths Cammeray, the members of the Saint Vincent de Paul Society in the Northern Suburbs Region have assisted the families at Mary’s House by meeting their immediate needs when they arrive at the service, and later by supporting them to successfully establish a new home when they transition from Mary’s Place to more permanent accommodation.
This year the focus of our support has been on assisting families on their arrival at Mary’s House and catering for their immediate needs such as clothing and personal items. The service is then able to provide them with those qualities of life most prized by us all: security, privacy, company and a warm atmosphere. In addition, both the women and their children are able to access important services such as in-house counselling.
Families exiting Mary’s place to more permanent accommodation face the daunting challenge of furnishing their new home. The grant from Norths has assisted Society members to relieve the stress on these families by providing them with essential household items such as: beds and linen; white goods; kitchen items and appliances; chairs, tables and lounges; and televisions. With the cost of a basic set up approaching $3,500 per family, the Norths Cammeray Grant is a precious resource and plays a significant role in supporting women and children who have experienced trauma to look to the future with hope and optimism.