Image credit: Help a Sister Out.
A certain type of magic is created when women come together to help each other out.
That’s why goosebumps could be felt when popular Motherhood podcast hosts Shanelle Franklin and Tamara Linke teamed up with the women-only crisis shelter Catherine House to create Help a Sister Out – the fundraiser and awareness campaign for women experiencing homelessness SA.
As the pandemic continues to surge throughout Australia, SA’s rates of homelessness have risen, with many women now finding themselves in vulnerable positions as a direct result of COVID-fuelled job redundancies or fleeing dangerous and violent houses.
As the name alludes, the Help a Sister Out fundraiser strives to raise necessary funds to support women who have found themselves homeless or in crisis in South Australia, while creating noise around the prevalent issue.
The campaign will run between August 1 and August 7 during National Homelessness Week. Help a Sister Out has raised $1885 for Catherine House so far.
“We are calling on our South Australian sisters to unite together and aid Catherine House in their work,” says Linke.
“We are asking for donations of $5, $20, $50 or whatever you can give to help our fellow sisters when they need us the most.”
Franklin and Linke are the brains behind podcast ‘Motherhood a Beautiful Nightmare’, the show taking digs at traditional family dynamics while holding a mirror up to mums that don’t take themselves too seriously.
“Now more than ever we need to pull together and help each other,” says Franklin.
“Many [women] are now extremely vulnerable and on waiting lists to receive crisis care after escaping domestic violence.”
Paul Kitching from ‘Coffee with PK’ is also a proud ambassador of Help A Sister Out, and will be highlighting this excellent cause and important issue during his popular morning conversations, while asking everyone who attends to pause and reflect on those in need in our community and how Catherine House can help.
Help a Sister Out comes as Australia begins to combat a ‘shadow pandemic’, with rates of domestic and family violence rising exponentially last year due to lockdowns and restricted movement orders. Further, reports continue to emerge detailing that Australia’s fastest-growing cohort of homeless people is older women.
“Sadly, homelessness does not discriminate and can affect anyone – our mothers, grandmothers, sisters and friends,” says Jaylee Cooper, Catherine House Fundraising, Events and Marketing Manager.
“It’s important that women know it’s ok to have a voice and that voice can be heard. We hope the podcast can help us raise awareness for women’s homelessness.”
Catherine House remains the only recovery-based women’s homelessness service in South Australia. In a devastating blow earlier this year, the vital organisation lost substantial government funding. Fundraisers like Help a Sister Out are crucial for Catherine House, in turn helping vulnerable women find safe, secure housing and pathways out of homelessness.
Help A Sister Out will run during National Homelessness Week August 1-7. To find out more and donate follow this link.
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