It's incredibly sad that Christmas is the busiest time in domestic violence shelters in Australia. Towards the end of November through to the end of January there are very noticeable increases in the number women and children needing emergency accommodation in secret locations to escape violence.

The reasons why there is so much more violence at Christmas time are complex but there is no question that the so-called festive season is in fact a time of more stress for many – and this results in more violence, mainly towards women.

I have been sitting on the idea of somehow tapping into the incredible volume of jewellery that women own that they no longer wear for the benefit of the most vulnerable women in our society for many years.

And then, last week, largely inspired by the New Day Box project which encourages the donation of shoe boxes full of pamper products to women in crisis at Christmas, I decided to do something about it to help give some hope to these women and this project was born:

Treasured – Helping women in crisis feel valued this festive season

It simply makes sense on so many levels…

• While people often donate toys for kids, these women have usually left behind everything they own.
• It sends a clear message to these courageous women that other women care and may provide just a little hope.
• From a sustainability level we need to reuse instead of buying more.
• Caring for others in our community is good for them and importantly it’s good for us. It helps us manage stress and is good for our wellbeing.
• It’s so easy to do!

Here are the steps you need to take to be part of Treasured.

Give a special gift

So many of us have beautiful items of jewellery that we no longer wear. So why not go through yours and find one or more special pieces you would like to give to a courageous woman who is determined to break the cycle of violence in her family.

While the jewellery should definitely be beautiful, it is preferable that it’s not especially valuable. The women don’t need the responsibility of looking after anything other than themselves and sometimes their children at this time in their lives.

In fleeing their homes, they have usually left everything behind. So this small gesture from you can have a big impact by letting them know someone does care. Please make sure the jewellery you send is in excellent condition and sparkling clean.

We encourage you to send more than one gorgeous item if you want to, however please wrap them individually.

Here are the steps you need to take to be part of Treasured.

Steps

1. Find one or more beautiful items of jewellery to donate.
2. Wrap them beautifully or put them in beautiful envelopes, leaving one side of the wrapping undone or the envelopes open so we can make sure they’re the right fit.
3. Send or drop off to:

Treasured C/o Engine House
105 Wellington St
St Kilda, VIC, 3182
Australia

Importantly, we need donations to be in the mail/dropped off by the 18^th of November as distribution takes time in a system that is stretched to the limit.

And please put a return to sender address on the back of the parcel so we have a record of who sent the gift/s.

Then let every woman you know about Treasured by sharing this link: https://lilowellness.com.au/treasured/

We are so excited by the incredibly positive response we are getting from women everywhere!

We’re partnering with New Day Box to distribute the gifts, so get on board and click on the link above to learn what steps you need to take to help a very vulnerable woman experience kindness instead of just despair this Festive Season.

About the author

Susie Hopkins

Founder at Lilo Wellness | [email protected] | Website

Susie Hopkins is the Founder of Lilo Wellness and teaches simple, practical strategies that ensure less stress every day. She has a Masters of Public Health, is a Registered Nurse and a qualified yoga and mindfulness teacher. She has taught people how to manage stress for more than 10 years and has worked as a health coach in the corporate sector for many years as well. She is a solo parent her little boy who is 5 and has autism having done IVF on her own.

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