From the Executive Officer

I hope you and your loved ones are keeping well and safe. Here at Emerge, we have welcomed some relaxation in the stay at home measures and look forward to the gradual easements. We are pleased with the prudent approach taken by the Victorian government. Certainly, our stand has been to remain cautious to protect the women and children we support as well as our staff and volunteers.

As no doubt you will have read, a rise in family violence due to the coronavirus is happening. Women who were vulnerable and anxious before are now in a worse situation, because they now have violence combined with the safe at home restrictions. This is certainly evident among the women and children we have recently started supporting. Their anxiety levels are very high.

This is why we are pressing on with many of our services, although they are being run virtually with 15-minute face to face sessions in line with self-distancing guidelines. Some of these initiatives include linking volunteers with families for on-line support, using our Fresh Start service to enable women move out of our crisis accommodation into private rental accommodation when and where we can so that we free up space for women needing a safe home. All these actions are in line with the directives from the Federal Chief Medical Officer and Victorian Government.

We do need your help, however.

The women in our services often don’t have cars and the restrictions in place mean that they cannot spend hours on public transport with their children going from shop to shop looking for items.

If you can donate infant formula (preferably Nan), nappies, wipes and toilet paper, please get in touch with us by calling 1300 536 330 or via email on mail@emergesupport.org.au

Please be assured that we are managing the day to day issues in a calm and professional manner, and we will continue to operate in the best interests of everyone. All decisions are being made after careful and considered deliberation. I feel confident that we have the right measures in place to weather the virus. I’d like to thank you for all the support you’ve provided to our organisation; without it, we would not be so well-positioned to help women and children escaping family violence today.

Stay safe, look after each other and keep washing your hands.

Paula Westhead

Executive Officer