This story discusses domestic and family violence. If it raises anything for you, support details are at the end of this article.
The end of the financial year is almost here and every year around this time we hear from locals who want to put their tax-deductible giving somewhere that genuinely matters. If you are looking for a place to donate before 30 June, here is one that is always worth considering, and it is closer to home than you might think.
Women & Children First is a not-for-profit community service supporting women and children escaping domestic and family violence. They operate Delvena Women’s Refuge right here on the Lower North Shore. Locals may already know their work through the free community yoga program they have run in Lane Cove, funded by Lane Cove Council.
To show what your support makes possible, the organisation has shared the story of one family they helped. Her name and identifying details have been changed to protect her children. Her story is shared with her consent.
One Family’s Story
Gemma met her ex-husband when they were both in their early twenties. Together they built a business, bought a home and had two daughters. From the outside, life looked stable. It was not.
There was no early physical violence. Instead there was coercive control, financial deception, gaslighting and the slow, deliberate cutting away of Gemma from the people around her.
“It was extremely subtle. I’ve really only noticed it looking back,” she said.
While Gemma kept the household running, something far worse was happening behind closed doors to her eldest daughter, Ivy. The abuse had begun when Ivy was four. She was ten before she found the words to say it out loud, and by the time she was a teenager she had reached a crisis point and tried to take her own life more than once. That was when Gemma left.
Leaving did not bring safety, at least not at first.
“Once you leave, their mask comes off. They’ve got nothing to lose,” Gemma said.
Her finances were cut off. The protection order was breached again and again. At one point she had $1.50 in her bank account and nowhere for her family to live. Then she was referred to Women & Children First, and things began to change.
“I wouldn’t have even known where to start. I would never have reached out on my own,” she said.
What Your Donation Makes Possible
For Gemma and her daughters, the support was practical and immediate. Women & Children First helped them find emergency accommodation when they had nowhere else to go. They gave the family a safe place to sleep for the first time in years.
A dedicated caseworker stood beside Gemma at the police station and in court, and was only a phone call away when she felt frightened and alone. Her daughters were supported by a specialist children’s caseworker who understood trauma and what they had lived through. There was a refuge pantry her youngest could take food from whenever she wanted, and there was language at last for what had happened to the family.
Slowly, life began to look ordinary again. Gemma’s youngest started playing in the park and laughing. Her eldest, who had carried so much for so long, finally felt safe enough to let go.
“My girls are safe and happy,” Gemma said. “It definitely hasn’t been easy, but we’re doing well now. I get to be hopeful.”
Her message to other women is simple. “To any mum still trying to hold it all together in silence: I see you. There is hope after harm. There is a future after fear.”
Why Give Now
Donating before 30 June means your gift counts in this financial year, and donations of $2 or more to Women & Children First are tax-deductible. Demand for safe shelter and crisis support is higher than ever, so a gift now goes straight to work for families like Gemma’s. If you are unsure how a donation fits with your own circumstances, your accountant can help.
How to Donate
You can make a tax-deductible donation to the Women & Children First end of financial year appeal at tax.wacf.org.au before 30 June.
Where to Find Support
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic or family violence, help is available.
- 1800RESPECT national domestic, family and sexual violence counselling: 1800 737 732, available 24 hours
- Lifeline crisis support: 13 11 14
- In an emergency, always call 000
