Coventry women's refuge in urgent need of donations
Coventry Haven saw a 49% increase on the number of women and children they supported this year.
A domestic abuse charity in Coventry is in urgent need of donations, after receiving a particularly low response this winter.
Coventry Haven Women’s Aid is appealing for supermarket gift vouchers, which they say will make a huge impact on the women and children they support in the community.
Vouchers from stores like Aldi, Asda, Lidl, Morrisons, Primark, Sainsbury’s or Tesco allow service users to buy their own Christmas gifts and food.
Jaime Richards from the charity said: "We acknowledge the Cost-of-Living crisis is difficult for everyone, but we would very much welcome and appreciate gift vouchers.
"They provide flexibility for the diverse needs of the women we support, and being able to choose gifts for their own children is often something they’ve previously not been able to do."
One service user said: "For the first time, I could choose gifts that truly brought smiles to my children's faces, and the joy in their eyes and the lack of fear is something I will never forget, and I’ll never go back to."
Jaime Richards explained how they have zero storage facilities, forcing them to turn some material donations away.
She said: "The gift vouchers require no storage and meet the needs of the women and children we support, not only at Christmas time but throughout the year, including moving on to resettle beyond their stay in refuge. A shortage of voucher donations impacts hugely the extent of support we can provide."
Coventry Haven has seen the level of demand remain consistently high.
In the last year, they have supported 2,704 women plus their children, a 49% increase on the year before. Their Helpline received 5,144 contacts, an increase of 50% on the previous year.
At this time of year, they recognise that families have less money and more time together, causing a spike in domestic incidents.
They encourage anyone affected to reach out for support on their helpline 0800 111 4998, which is available 7 days a week.
They are also calling on anyone who can offer regular monetary support, or would like to leave a legacy in their Will, to contact: info@coventryhaven.co.uk.
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