NATIONAL COLLECTIVE of INDEPENDENT WOMEN’S REFUGES INC.
Thursday June 16, 2011

It’s Just like Feb 22 but no one has died, please help us

Women’s Refuge workers in Christchurch, once again, need support for the hundreds of families they deal with in the community.

“I am not sure if people outside of Christchurch really know how bad this is for us,” says Lois Herbert, Manager of the Battered Women’s Trust. “Feb 22 was a 6.2 quake and Monday was a 6.3. We have the same eastern suburbs broken and shaken once again, people coming home to find they have NO crockery, no water , no power, and liquefaction covering roads and properties

We are getting better at keeping safe in these quakes and fortunately that may have meant that no one was killed in the latest series of quakes, but that does not mean we do not need help,” she says.

At any time the four Women’s Refuges under the umbrella of the National Collective of Independent Women’s Refuges in the city deal with up to 1000 women and their children living in their communities. Only two of the Women’s Refuge safe houses operating in Christchurch are in use after Monday and some families are being transferred out of Christchurch.

Ms Herbert has noticed that the latest volley of quakes has contributed to an increase in partner stress leading to an increase in calls. “We were getting phone calls last night – tension caused by these recent quakes has triggered arguments and stress that may not directly be domestic violence but are so troublesome that the couple need space. We have had to take women to welfare centres for space.”

An example of how strung out people are, Ms Herbert describes what it is like at one Refuge to interview already scared women from partner violence. “Our office shakes when a truck goes past. When we are interviewing a woman and this happens we can see the look of fear and her thought that she may need to dive under a table.”

The Women’s Refuges in Christchurch urgently need supplies from members of the public, even if those people are out of the area. “We need phone cards as landlines are down and our families use mobiles, we need food that does not rely on water and is easily prepared such as Up and Go for breakfast, muesli bars and we need clothes. A big need right now is gumboots for adults and kids and thermal underwear, blankets, bedding and more hand sanitisers. The shortest day is approaching and it is cold, very cold. We have heard of cases of hypothermia from people without adequate clothing and home heating, please help us.”

If anyone wants to contribute to the Refuges in Christchurch please email info@refuge.org.nz or call Janet on 04 801 2704 for details. If anyone wants to contribute money they can visit www.womensrefuge.org.nz

ENDS

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