Family violence includes physical harm, sexual assault, psychological, verbal, economic and social abuse. It also cover threats to harm other family members or pets, and children who hear, witness or are exposed to the effects of family violence.
Everyone has the right to feel safe in their family and home. If you are experiencing family violence you have a right to be protected and live free from family violence. Family violence can stop.
This Ask Someone website has been designed to help you, or someone you know who has experienced family violence in any form, seek free professional support and information 24/7.
MoneyHelp is a not for profit telephone financial counselling service operated by Consumer Action Law Centre. MoneyHelp provides free confidential financial information and financial counselling to Victorians experiencing problems with money or debt. If you are having trouble paying your rent, mortgage, credit cards, or other bills, the financial counsellors at MoneyHelp may be able to assist you.
Before ringing the service (or in addition to ringing the service) you can visit the website for tips and tools to help if you are in financial difficulty. You will find practical information that is specific to your situation, including sample letters, fact sheets, budget tools to work out your income and expenses and prioritise your debt, debt payment options, information about hardship programs, and information about your rights and entitlements after losing your job.
Please note that MoneyHelp does not lend or give out money.
http://www.goodshepherdmicrofinance.org.au
Good Shepherd Microfinance is Australia’s largest microfinance organisation. They offer a range of people-centred, affordable financial programs for people on low incomes at different financial stages of their lives. This includes NILS (no interest loans), StepUP (low interest loans), HESS (home energy saver scheme) and AddsUp (savings plan).
Their aim, together with those of our community partners, is to enable clients to realise their own economic wellbeing, as they define it themselves, through appropriate financial services. As a result, people feel valued, accepted and included and in control of their own finances and lives. Our programs have reached more than 140,000 people previously excluded from mainstream banking access to loans and savings, with repayment rates consistently above 95%.
http://www.goodshepvic.org.au/
Good Shepherd Youth & Family Service is a community service organisation helping people battle poverty and disadvantage. Good Shepherd offer health and wellbeing programs, mentoring, counselling and services for women and their children escaping from family violence.
The Good Shepherd Youth & Family Services Dollars ‘n’ Sense program assists people in financial hardship to gain security and independence through small loans, financial counselling and buying services. Please note this service is only available in certain local government areas of Melbourne.
http://www.justiceconnect.org.au/homelesslaw
Justice Connect Homeless Law has launched a Women’s Homelessness Prevention Project. Women who are facing eviction into homelessness (including women on low incomes in public, community or private rental who have received notices to vacate or have a VCAT hearing) will be eligible for assistance.
The Women’s Homelessness Prevention Project involves a weekly outreach clinic, staffed by pro bono lawyers as well as a dedicated social worker, who will attend client appointments and assist with case co-ordination. Women’s Homelessness Prevention Project aims to prevent the eviction of women and children into homelessness and sustain their tenancies in the long term.
The Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) is an interpreting service provided by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection for people who do not speak English and for agencies and businesses that need to communicate with their non-English speaking clients.
