Family violence can leave entire families homeless, physically injured or dead.
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It is the reason Wagga resident Jenny Davis launched a charity to support the vulnerable women and children who found themselves needing to escape dangerous relationships.
But the lifeline that has supported up to 200 victims each year for seven years announced it would fold next month.
The loss has been attributed to a lack of community support.
It comes after Ms Davis said she would be stepping down from the role of Liberty From Violence committee chair.
With no one to take her place, it was decided the charity would be discontinued.
Ms Davis said it was a devastating outcome.
It comes after more than 375 domestic abuse cases were reported to police last year, according to the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research.
But this number did not include the estimated 80 per cent of cases that go unreported, according to an Australian Bureau of Statistics study in 2012.
For seven years, Liberty From Violence has acted as a helping hand to official government services and other not-for-profits, providing gift packs, mobile phones, furniture and vouchers for food, emergency overnight accommodation, and in some cases, plane tickets to domestic violence victims.
“We were helping people in a way (official support services) wouldn’t otherwise be able to,” Ms Davis said. “Their hearts are with the victims ... it gave another opportunity to help.”
She said government-funded assistance usually included shelter but nothing for food.
“We mostly gave out Coles vouchers,” Ms Davis said. “Those gift vouchers were primarily focused on giving women the opportunity to eat and feed their children.”
But without the continued support of Wagga residents, she said Liberty From Violence could not carry on.
“You can’t force (support),” Ms Davis said. “It is disappointing … but more so for those who will miss out.”
She said the community determined what it wants to support and what it felt was a worthy cause.
“Unfortunately domestic violence is still very much an area that is not talked about,” Ms Davis said. “It is still something the public wont discuss.”
Wagga Womens’ Health Centre co-founder Jan Roberts said Liberty From Violence had been amazing, providing a unique service no other provider could.
“Women and children are living in cars because there aren’t enough practical solutions like this,” Ms Roberts said. “There is not nearly enough to meet demand.”
But Ms Roberts conceded the charity became taken for granted.
“They were giving practical assistance to women leaving violence,” Ms Roberts said. “Services knew there was help in the background, which was important.”