Karana Downs Rotary Club: Domestic Violence Victims’ Support Pack project

Well done to David and Mary for their community support - our help was the very least we could do. Keep up the wonderful work!

"Mary and David Kearney are both members and past presidents of Karana Downs Rotary Club. During their time with the Club they have been involved in many community support projects, both locally and overseas.

At a recent Club meeting, Senior Sergeant Kevin Harrigan from Karana Downs Police Station informed members that his officers are attending an ever-increasing number of domestic violence cases in our community.

Quite often, the police are forced to remove victims from these violent situations and place them in safe accommodation. Given how stressful these events can be, victims hardly have the time to grab their phone and purse/wallet, let alone pack essential items such as toiletries.

Given the insidious nature of domestic violence, and the taboo against its discussion, David suggested to the Club that this was a perfect opportunity to show the victims of these crimes that the community they live in does truly care. From this suggestion, the Domestic Violence Victims’ Support Pack project was born. The Club has assembled packs that our local police teams can distribute to those who find themselves in this unacceptable situation.

These packs include essential toiletry items as well as small niceties like colouring books and pencils and a teddy bear (supplied in a draw string type library bag) for the children who too often are also caught up in these situations.

Sadly, some of the prototype packs were required by the local police team before the official launch.

By providing these packs for distribution by our local police teams, the Club members already know that they are making their work with the victims of domestic violence a little easier.

We have also involved the local community in the assembly of these packs. The Club had a fabulous response from the local primary schools which ran campaigns to encourage their students to help collect items for these packs.

The Club has also received support from individuals within the community who read about the project in the Rotary produced Community Chronicle, our local publication that informs readers about what is going on in our community. The effects of involving people in the assembly of these packs is two-fold. As well as showing the victims receiving these packs that people in their community do care for them, they also help to kick-start a conversation in the wider community about domestic violence.

While the main focus of the project has been the victims of domestic violence cases, the Club is now extending the project to produce ‘Emergency Support Packs’ which can be used to assist those people who find themselves in any sort of emergency situation.

On behalf of the Karana Downs Rotary Club, Mary and David would like to thank RI Alderley for their generous donation which the Club has used to purchase the base packs needed to hold all the collected items."

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