At Stockwells, making a difference matters to us. That’s why we’re so proud to partner with Friends with Dignity, a remarkable organisation supporting adults and children affected by domestic violence. As their official moving partner, we help deliver donated goods, creating safe, welcoming homes for victim-survivors.
Recently, Jessica Siemon (Operations and Project Management) and Maddison Mangan (ESG and Marketing) spent a day at the Friends with Dignity warehouse in Meadowbrook. They assisted with sorting donations of toys, linen, and homewares, preparing essential items for those in impacted by domestic violence.
To learn more about the profound impact of their work, we sat down with Tracey Wickham, National Fundraising and Community Engagements Manager at Friends with Dignity.
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A national effort to support survivors of domestic violence
Through financial support, tangible resources, programs, and scholarships, Friends with Dignity provides individuals and families with the tools they need to regain their personal safety and wellbeing after enduring violence.
Their vision is powerful: to ease the impact of Domestic Violence on Individuals and the Community regardless of race, ethnicity, gender or sexuality. The organisation ensures that everyone, no matter their background, has access to the resources and support they need to begin rebuilding their lives.
Tracey explained the organisation’s mission and the crucial role of their programs:
“Friends with Dignity provides practical programs to help victim-survivors of domestic violence,” said Tracey.
“Our primary programs are our Sanctuary Programs, where we fill a home with furniture and everything that an individual or family would need,” said Tracey.
“We help people who may not have family support or the financial means to establish a home. If you think about the costs involved in starting over – beds, linen, towels, a fridge, a washing machine – that’s where we step in.”
“When we do a home in the Sanctuary Program, it’s literally turnkey. The family walks in, and our volunteers have created a home filled with both new and pre-loved items,” she added.
Tracey made it clear just how crucial volunteers are to their success.
“We couldn’t do this without our volunteers. We couldn’t do it without community and financial support.”
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Urgent requests: Providing immediate assistance
Friends with Dignity also runs an urgent requests program, providing vital support when it’s needed most. By working with registered agencies, they step in to help people facing unexpected crises.
“A parent may have a car, but the tyres need replacing,” said Tracey.
“If you don’t have a car, you can’t take your kids to school, go shopping, or attend job interviews.”
They come to us and say, ‘Can you help us? We need $400 to put a new set of tyres on the car.’ We do that through our urgent request program,” she explained.
This program is highly effective in addressing those urgent, on-the-spot requests for support.
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The power of volunteers
Volunteers play a pivotal role in everything from collecting donations to sorting and packing essential items for families in need.
A volunteer could do anything from picking up donated linen to packing items for sanctuary homes.
“They are also incredible for we have a Christmas collection in which we’re doing at the moment, and we have a Pyjama Drive that runs the whole of April,” said Tracey.
“They will come in for both of those things. They will help collect donations. They will sort and pack those because we’ll get orders from the services and refuges for what they need.”
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Stockwells’ role
As Friends with Dignity’s moving partner, Stockwells play a crucial role in transporting goods and ensuring they reach the right locations.
Tracey described the importance of this partnership:
“Stockwells help us move stock between locations. For example, we received a very generous donation of two pallets of goods from Price Attack. We rely on volunteers to pack, unpack, and sort everything, but it’s Stockwells that helps us move it all,” said Tracey.
“Without their support, the cost would be too much for a charity our size. We truly appreciate all they do for us.”
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Celebrating 10 years of impact
Next year, the organisation will celebrate their 10th anniversary, marking a decade of helping individuals rebuild their lives after experiencing domestic violence.
“When we help people, they can’t believe that someone would do this for them,” said Tracey.
“When they move into a home, they’re amazed at what they receive. The kids walk into their bedrooms, the bedrooms made up. There’s toys all over the bed. Mum can bathe the kids at night. There’s a special something for mum on the bed. It’s pretty special.”
Beyond their sanctuary and urgent request programs, Friends with Dignity offers a range of other programs, like their Little Friends Giving Day and the Little Friends Scholarship, further demonstrating the depth of their impact.
Looking ahead, Friends with Dignity will continue to focus on recruiting more volunteers to help share the workload, continue expanding their reach across the country, and further their impact.
At Stockwells, we remain committed to supporting their mission and providing vital resources to those in need. Together, we’re making a meaningful difference in the lives of those affected by domestic violence.
To learn more about Friends with Dignity, visit www.friendswithdignity.org.au.