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For 25 years the Hauraki Family Violence Intervention Network has made a difference in the Hauraki-Coromandel.
The organisation focuses on supporting and empowering families with a range of services and agencies from Waihī, through the Hauraki Plains and all the way up to Colville on the Coromandel Peninsula.
Its main commitments are to help and empower families with the tools and support for understanding what healthy relationships look like and where to get help if change is required, HFVIN Coordinator Sally Christie told The Profile.
“We bring together a diverse coalition of community organisations, businesses, individuals and government agencies, all united by our shared commitment to eliminate family violence.
“I see myself as a bridge builder because with family violence and making a difference, we know that professional agencies only hear about a fraction of it and police etc,” she said.
It was people in the community, she said, such as aunties, neighbours, sports coaches and employers who could see the signs and showed concern for people affected by family violence.
“All of those people are key in having the knowledge and resources to… point out when someone’s behaving badly and, as importantly, know where to go to for help.
“So part of our role is to resource and support the specialist agencies and to empower communities to have the resources, if they are concerned, to get help fast.”
Some big changes in life such as shifting houses or employment and even the cost of living crisis are stresses that increase the risk of destructive behaviors, she said.
“We acknowledge the stresses [however] it’s never an excuse for violence.
“If we’re trying to make a difference for our children and our grandchildren, they will do what they see, not what we say. So all of us monitoring and modelling that difference is really important.”
It was something, she said, that could affect everybody.
“It affects all aspects of our community because it’s really easy for people to say, oh, it’s those people that look different to me or live in a different part of town or something, but it doesn’t discriminate.”
For people in need of support, Sally said help was available.
“Social service agencies and your medical practice have this information and knowledge. Talk to a trusted friend.
“The key message is don’t suffer this on your own,” she said.
“Ask for help, whether that be informal in your community or through an agency.”
DETAILS: If in immediate danger, please call 111, or Sally Christie on 027 372 6332 or Te Whāriki Manawāhine O Hauraki – Hauraki Women’s Refuge on the 24/7 free number: 0800 868 3132
-By Davidda Hikatangata
