Ethical Partners Supports recently established charity You Matter to help those in need that have experienced domestic and family violence

December 10, 2020

Ethical Partners Funds Management has committed funding to the domestic and family violence support service, You Matter (Aus) Ltd, which help set up families through providing all the furniture and goods required to rebuild their lives when they are required to start again.

You Matter’s mission is to ensure that the permanent homes of survivors escaping Domestic and Family Violence are fully equipped, functional and comfortable so that they can begin to rebuild their lives free from the impediments that not having basic household items create.

“In Victoria, we are seeking to provide a supportive environment for women and children to thrive in the community after emerging from the trauma of domestic violence.” Rochelle Anderson, Co-founder & Director of Operations, You Matter

You Matter’s collaborative approach to working within the community is sustainable, geared to provide immediate benefits to those in need and established for long-term growth.

You Matter has strong partnerships with domestic violence agencies, social workers and community groups to provide support to those women and families in need.

“You Matter is having a real and tangible impact – and giving women a sense of dignity, respect, and worth. Our clients are getting a strong message that people care about them, which is something many of us take for granted.” Kelly Hinton, General Manager, EDVOS.

As You Matter is a recently established charity, it is currently in the set up and growth stage of the organisation so the funding from Ethical Partners will allow investment in core growth needs through:

·        Set up costs of havens for families (additional funding of around $500 per haven is required on top of donated goods)

·        Storage space rental – allowing more donated goods to be collected and therefore more havens to be fully furnished and equipped.

·        Developing marketing technologies through our website and CRM systems, which will allow You Matter to better manage their customer relationships; growing these relationships to increase donations of money and goods, volunteer participation, domestic violence agency support and most importantly the number of families in need they can support.

About You Matter – Creating Homes with Hope

The prevalence of domestic and family violence is of growing concern to the Australian community. While awareness of the issue and subsequent intolerance towards violence against women tends to spike when a particularly horrific incident occurs, unfortunately DFV is a far larger and more frequent problem than a cursory examination of key media reporting would indicate. The statistics paint a grim picture of the incidence of violence perpetrated by an intimate partner or family member. A less recognised effect of domestic and family violence is the detrimental effect it has on the economic security of victims and the consequent cost this confers to Australian society.

Those who escape domestic violence typically return to the abusive partner six times before they make the final break. Some, particularly women with children, return because they feel unable to provide. Perhaps in their new home they have no beds, or they have no washing machine so they can’t wash their kids’ clothes, or they have no fridge so they can’t store fresh food. Some return because they feel they simply cannot do it on their own. There is a compelling need for support to break this cycle of returning to abuse.

There are charities and not-for-profit organisations who will help find housing for women escaping domestic violence. This provides an essential security for these women, but those who relocate will find themselves with a roof but little else – no beds, no furnishings, no fridge. You Matter was established to address this need.

‘You Matter filled my new life with hope and showed me I am valued. …I couldn’t speak more highly of

You Matter. Everything was fantastic.’ Survivor testimonial of a You Matter haven set up.

Initially auspiced by the Surrey Hills Neighbourhood Centre for the first 8 months of operation since September 2019, then You Matter became a registered charity with Deductible Gift Recipient Tier 1 status on 1 May 2020.  You Matter has so far in just over 14 months of operation provided support to over 27 families.

“The trauma caused by domestic violence is seen every day in the courts. So many women and children yearn for a safe home – a haven.  You Matter helps provide those havens and does so with a sense of respect, community and practical concern. The next phase of the organisation will involve a cautious and carefully planned growth strategy to build You Matter so that more families can be assisted.” You Matter Chair, Jane Patrick said.

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
YOU MATTER (AUS) LTD
Maxine Gross, Co-Founder & Director of Marketing and Fundraising, maxine@youmatter.org.au, 0439 318 827
Website: https://youmatter.org.au/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/youmatter.org.au
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/you-matter-aus-ltd

 

 

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