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.
“The most beautiful thing a woman can wear is confidence.” Clothes4u gives hope and builds confidence and self esteem.
Clothes4u is based on the Mornington Peninsula and provide great quality clothing to women in need. Clothing for court appearances, work experience or job interviews, centrelink or DHHS meetings, funerals, school meetings, rental interviews, special occasions and much more.
The service is totally free and clients get to keep all the items.
Disadvantage can happen to a woman at any time in her life. Fitted for Work help women experiencing disadvantage get into work and keep it.
Fitted for Work’s programs and services stem from a belief that when women are fitted for work they are fitted for life. Fitted for Work believe that when women have hope, confidence and economic security through work, the flow on effect is transformational, both to their families and also to society as a whole.
Fitted for Work offer employment services which help women build their skills and develop their confidence in order to achieve meaningful work. They help women to develop their confidence and achieve economic security.
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%.
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.
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.
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.
Tenants Victoria works to promote and protect the rights of tenants and residents in all forms of residential accommodation across Victoria. They aim to inform and educate tenants about their rights, improve conditions, improve the status of tenants and represent their collective interests in law and policy making.
Tenants Victoria offer free and confidential advice, assistance and advocacy for tenants and residents.
Tenants Victoria Website: www.tuv.org.au
Tenants Helpline: 03 9416 2577
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.