Kara House is a specailist family violence service provding safe and secure accomodation and outreach services to women and children impacted by family violence. We encourage and empower women to take control of their lives and wokr towards making strategies to create a better future.
Last year Kara House has provided safety, advice and emotional support to 290 women and 199 children who have experienced family violence. We work with women and children of all as women who idnetify as LGTBIQ. Last year we worked with clients of 46 different cultural backgrounds. We provdie secure accomodation for clients fleeing an abusive situation and in need of relocation to ensure their safety. We continue to work with families as they move on to transittiona, public and private rentals. We offer the same services to cleitns living in the wider community in their own accomodation.
Family violence is a harsh reality our community faces. One in 5 women will experience some form of violence while at least one woman a week is killed by a partner or former partner. We challenge service provdier, government and the communiyt to adopt repsonse that do not tolerate violence to women and children.
Kara House is partly funded by the Victorian governemnt but we rely of donations from the wider community and organisation to provide basic necessities like clothes, toys, linen and tolietries for our cleitns when they first arrive. When our clients move to more stable accomodaion we provide them with linen, kitchen and cleaning packs to relieve the personal and financial stress of setting up a home from scratch.
To reduce the propensity of women returning to and absuive relationship we run educational programs in the wider community for anyone impacted by family violence. These groups provide important support and strategies for participants enabling the to move forward with their lives.
Sara - Client story
For years Sara had lived in silence with the shame of family violence at the hands of her husband. She had stayed for the sake of her children but the day her husband beat her eight year old son for intervening, in front of her terrified younger children, she knew she had to escape. She left the family home in secret with little more than the most basic belongings and her three children. Her husband controlled the family finances so with no access to money her only option was crisis accommodation. With no close family she reached out to community services and was referred to and welcomed into Kara House women’s refuge in Melbourne. Without the support of Kara House, Sara may well have ended up as just another statistic reported in the news.
Sadly Sara's story is not unique.
What do we do?
For over 40 years Kara House has provided secure refuge, risk assessment, safety planning, outreach support, referral and liaison with other services for Victorian women and their children who experience family violence. They are need of relocation or support services in order to ensure their safety. Last year we supported 354 women and 199 children no matter their background.
In addition to providing temporary refuge accommodation, Kara House provides transitional housing and rehabilitation support, client advocacy services such as assisting with court orders or visa applications, children's activities and community education.
How you can help?
By making a donation to support Kara House you are demonstrating to the women accessing our services, that the community does care and they are not a forgotten statistic. Your donation directly contributes to programs that enable women like Sara and her children to rebuild their lives.
What you can do?
Help us provide a secure future for our clients and make a donation today. All gifts are tax deductible.
How your gift will be used:
Are donations tax deductible?
Yes. Every gift made in Australia over $2 is tax deductible
Will I receive a receipt for my donation?
Yes, immediately sent to you by email when approved.
Donate to Kara House - General Appeal
Yes
Yes, as soon as your donation is processed.
