Fundraiser for crucial Rodney service
Tickets for the surreal Gibbs Farm are on sale for November 24, as a fundraiser for Hestia Rodney Women’s Refuge.
The early Christmas present could also help to make the festive season safer for women and their children living in violent situations, Hestia services manager Oriel Heseltine said.
In a sad irony, the season of goodwill also sees a spike in domestic violence.
Money worries in the lead up to Christmas, spending more time with family members and alcohol all contribute.
Hestia covers a huge area from Maungaturoto and Mangawhai to south of the Whangapara¯ oa Peninsula, Helensville and South Head.
In the year to June 2016 staff helped and supported around 650 women and 775 children, a spokesperson said.
Fewer lawyers offering legal aid in the area north of Orewa, and courts being centralised, now sees staff travelling south to Auckland and north to Whangarei.
Many of our families live in extreme hardship and have no resources of their own to access these services, the spokesperson said.
Growth in the north, especially at Millwater and Warkworth, has seen more use of the service. The more diverse ethnic makeup is also now seeing abuse within families of Chinese and Asian descent coming to light.
The crisis line is available 24/7, and the 0800 number means a lack of mobile phone credit won’t be a barrier to call. Hestia received around 1160 calls on the crisis line.
Around 30 women and 31 children used Hestia’s safe house. Big rental price hikes and a shortage of healthy rental properties saw the length of time they stay almost doubling to 45 nights on average.
Given many of the women and children have had to leave violent situations with almost nothing, donations of bedding, furniture and other house hold goods are always welcome.