Newsletter - Issue 19 - July 2023
Our News
As we begin the new financial year, we would like to acknowledge all the valuable contributions our donors, volunteers and advocates have made to Pop In since we opened our doors in 2021.
As I mentioned in our last newsletter, in August we will be moving into our long-term home in Kirkham Street, Moss Vale as a result of the generous support of three local people/organisations.
Firstly Sandra Salteri, who has provided us with our new permanent home that will allow us to support even more women and children navigating domestic violence.
Secondly, we received a very generous capital grant from a foundation to renovate the premises and make it fit for purpose. The work is well underway and we are very excited about all the possibilities it presents. You can see some photos of our new windows and the new deck below, which is almost complete!
The third grant has come from our friends at The 4K Childrens Charity, specifically to fit out the children's activity room where we run Play and Chat, and which as you will read later in the newsletter, is an enormous success.
We are so grateful to everyone who has helped us to get to where we are today, helping us grow into a service which is helping the lives of so many women and their children in the Southern Highlands.
Vicki Kelley, Chair Pop In
NAIDOC Week
During this year's NAIDOC Week, we celebrate the theme "For Our Elders."
At Pop In, we recognise the invaluable contributions of our nation's Elders, who hold a special place within our communities, embodying wisdom, resilience, and the rich cultural heritage that shapes us all.
As we celebrate their legacy, we must also address the pressing issue of domestic and family violence within Aboriginal communities. Shockingly, Aboriginal women are 45 times more likely to experience domestic violence than non-Indigenous women*. Aboriginal Elders play an important role in breaking the cycle of intergenerational abuse and advocating for positive change.
At Pop In, we welcome and support all women regardless of race, age, or sexual orientation.
*Source: Domestic and family violence - Creative Spirits
Our new home
Here are some photos of the progress of the new house - taken in late June.
Our Results
As a donor and supporter of any charity, you often wonder whether your contribution is really making a difference. We are therefore sharing with you a recent letter from the women who attend play and chat.
Dear Pop In,
The mums who attend play and chat would like to take this opportunity to express our deepest gratitude for the incredible support and care you have given us. Your dedication and hard work make a significant impact in all our lives. We know how incredibly lucky we are to have found such a supportive community in Pop In. Since joining your service, we have all made valuable connections, gained, and shared knowledge, and received much-needed support and encouragement.
You're an incredibly valuable resource for all of us, and we appreciate the welcoming and nurturing environment you have created. As mothers, we have all come to play and chat at our most vulnerable. We’ve come here feeling broken, isolated, and living in difficult and unpleasant homes. But from the moment we walk in here, we’ve been made to feel welcome and most importantly, safe. A warm smile, a hug and a sympathetic ear or a hot cup of tea and a volunteer-made lemon tart is sometimes just what we need to make it through the day.
The staff and volunteers not only put on special events and parties for us and our kids, but you also help us on a much larger scale. You've helped our mums find safe affordable accommodation. You have provided a safe environment for our children, so we are free to engage with staff who facilitate linking these services. Only last week I moved into my own house, leaving decades spent living with family violence behind me.
We have made lifelong friendships and that would not have been possible without this amazing service and its volunteers.
Thank you to all the wonderful volunteers that donate their valuable time and effort to make this all possible. Thank you for making our children feel loved and providing a safe and nurturing environment for them. And thank you to those who behind the scenes make Pop In and Play and Chat possible. It has changed all our lives completely in the most positive of ways. Thank you doesn’t seem like enough, but it’s all we have, so it’ll have to do. Thank you!
Movie night
Join us for a fundraising movie night at Empire Cinema Bowral
The Miracle Club is a heartwarming film that follows the story of three generations of close friends, Lily (Maggie Smith), Eileen (Kathy Bates), and Dolly (Agnes O’Casey) of Ballygar, a hard-knocks community in Dublin, who have one tantalizing dream: to win a pilgrimage to the sacred French town of Lourdes, that place of miracles that draws millions of visitors each year.
Date: Thursday, 3rd August
Time: 6pm for a 6.30pm start
Tickets: $28 (and includes light refreshments)
To book your tickets, click the button below, or visit: https://tinyurl.com/popinmovienight
Each ticket sold for this event will provide much-needed funds to help us support women and children in the Southern Highlands navigating domestic violence.
Fundraising for Pop In
When you host a fundraising event, you raise funds and awareness about domestic violence and its effects on individuals and communities.
By engaging friends, family, coworkers, and your wider network, you make a difference to us all.
If you have an idea for a fundraising event or activity for Pop In; whether it be a corporate golf day, a kids' activity carnival, a sausage sizzle, trivia night or fun run (or any other creative suggestions) we would love to work with you to help create a successful fundraiser.
Important Information
A reminder that our direct deposit bank details for donations have now changed. The Bendigo Bank Donations Account for Pop In Southern Highlands Limited details are now:
BSB: 633 000
Account Number: 200 104 925
