Women's Refuge reports busy December 

Source: ONE News

Women's Refuges across the country say December has been busier than usual with many safe houses full and a high demand for community services.

Christmas is a time when women often strive to keep their families together and seek community help and advice from the refuges to allow them to do this, national spokeswoman Sarah Pomeroy says.

This means there is not generally a big influx into safe houses until January/February, but this month many of those houses have been full in the lead up to Christmas, she says.

The biggest increase for refuges has been in community work and refuges have also received a large number of police referrals, she says.

"It's extremely busy. Refuges were saying they were very busy-- busier than usual for December."

A real need for more volunteers has arisen, as paid workers work all day then go onto the crises lines at night, she says.

"Women who are in the safe houses or perhaps working with refuge in the community are often really, really hurting, because their families could be disarray, they may not know where they are going to be able to spend Christmas. Obviously it's not how they saw their Christmas going for themselves and their children.

"It's a time when women need a lot of counselling and need a lot of support... to cope with all those sort of stresses really."

More women seeking help this year say poverty has been a factor for them, Pomeroy says.

"We've seen families who are really struggling. Just with all the effect of a recession, I guess, actually starting to come through.

"There were families who have really exhausted all their other resources and they're actually relying on refuge to help feed their children."

Refuges across the country have also seen a "big drop" in the number of gifts donated, Pomeroy says.

"The refuges have been sort of having to dig into their own pockets to help families with food and presents."

She urges people to think about donating any unwanted Christmas presents to refuge.

Many refuges have also reported an increase in the amount of young women, aged 16-24, seeking help, many of who have experienced family violence as children.

"But the refuges are saying the positive thing is that they are coming in with their own children, but they are asking for help... They want to break the cycle early and are actually recognising it at a young age.

"That's been quite strong trend."

Exact figures of how many people have used refuge services this festive season will be compiled over the next few months, Pomeroy says.