11 Oct 2024
Mary’s House Services is a not-for-profit, grassroots organisation which supports women and their children escaping from domestic and family violence and abuse. Mary’s House Services was built by the community for the community, following a recognition of a gap in services within the local region. Mary’s House Services in entirely funded by the generosity of our community of donors.
Thanks to this funding, we have been able to deliver over 14,000 safe nights’ accommodation at our refuge as well as establish a community program centre to assist women still living in the community.
To celebrate and engage our donors and supporters, each year we host the Mary’s House Walk, which is an initiative to supplement our fundraising efforts. This year it will be held at St Leonards Park, Miller Street in North Sydney on Sunday 27th October.
We are delighted to share that Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley, Governor of NSW, will be addressing the community to mark the occasion, and walking with us in saying no to domestic violence in our community.
In addition, participants will be entertained during registration by the NSW Police Sax Quartet, as well as hearing about the lifesaving work of Mary’s House Services from our CEO, Yvette Vignando.
The walk is a picturesque ten-kilometre route that weaves through North Sydney, Waverton, Balls Head and Lavender Bay, and is pet (on leash only) and pram friendly. The funds raised from this event will allow Mary’s House Services to provide more case management hours for women and their families seeking safety at the refuge and the provision of more programs to aid women still living in the community.
‘It is such a fun day out and the walk takes in some of the most breathtaking views around Sydney harbour’ said Mary’s House Services CEO Yvette Vignando. The community funded not-for-profit is hoping to raise $250k from this year’s walk. ‘We have set ourselves a huge fundraising goal,’ she explains, ‘but through our outreach to our corporate and community allies, who take a stance in saying no to domestic and family violence, I am confident we can reach it if they start their peer-to-peer fundraising efforts now.’
Domestic and family violence in Australia has now reached epidemic proportions with more than one woman every week, and one child every fortnight, losing their lives. Within Sydney, the rates of domestic violence incidents within the Northern Suburbs continue to rise, for example, the Northern Beaches rates of DFV incidents have increased 26.4%, and North Sydney rates have increased 15.3%, over the last two years.
As Yvette explains, ‘We exist solely through the generosity of our community. We urgently need funds to provide more case management for the families in our refuge and to help more support programs for victim-survivors still living in the community.’
Registration for the walk is now open and The Greens are taking bookings if you want to have a relaxing post-walk brunch or lunch.
To take a stand against domestic and family violence and register for the walk, go to https://mhswalk-2024.raiselysite.com/
