Refuge appeal for funds this week

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 14, Issue 646, 23 July 1996, Page 16

Refuge appeal for funds this week

"If Women' s Refuge weren't here, the health and welfare systems would need to find an extra 2345 beds every week or find housing for an extra 335 women and children every night," says New Zealand Women' s Refuge Foundation executive director Wendy Slieker. "We'll be using our annual appeal (2228 July) to prick the community' s conscience, to remind them that women' s refuge is an essential service and that they have a responsibility to deal with the problem of family violence," she said. "Too many people still think that family violence is someone else's problem, that now we have a police pro-arrest policy and a new Domestic Violence Act that the issue

has been dealt with, that government should pay." Government meets a third of the costs of running Refuge but does not fund 24-hour crisis call-outs or childcare workers, states NZWRF. "While we believe government has a greater responsibility than it currently shoulders, the problem is a community problem and the greatest responsibility lies there," said Ms Slieker. "Our experience shows that where family violence is acknowledged as a community problem, there is stronger support for Refuge 's work. The reality of this support is dollars and cents and that's what appeal week is all about." "By providing a focus for the public we will raise their awareness of the issue and encourage them to contribute so that we can continue to run a 24-hour, nation- wide service to help more than 23,000 women and children every year." The annual appeal is supported by the Foundation which has made direct cash grants to refuges totaling more than $574,000 since 1991. "We have made it our business to be part of the solution by raising funds, by raising public awareness of the issues around family violence and by making communities aware that they too have a responsibility," says Wendy Slieker. "If Women' s Refuge were not here, then someone else would have to answer 1 70,000 telephone calls, run 56 safe houses and help more than 9000 children deal with the effects of family violence."