Adventists mobilise to offer support for domestic violence survivors

The Adventist Church in Australia is partnering with ADRA to provide emergency “Go Bags” for people experiencing domestic violence, as part of this year’s EnditNow campaign, held from August 22 to 23.

Run by the Australian Union Conference (AUC) Women’s Ministries department in collaboration with ADRA Australia, the initiative encourages church members to assemble practical care packs containing essential items. The Go Bags will be distributed during or after EnditNow Emphasis Day, which encourages churches across Australia to join the global movement to end violence against women, men and children.

“The collaboration between the Women’s Ministries department and ADRA means that we are able to achieve more together, having a greater impact on the community than we could independently,” said Charlene Luzuk, ADRA national programs director. “We recognise the earnest desire of women (and men) in our churches to demonstrate their faith through action by making a tangible difference in the lives of the most vulnerable.”

Each Go Bag contains personal care items intended to offer comfort, dignity and support to people in crisis. Church members are encouraged to deliver completed bags to their local conference Women’s Ministries or ADRA director by July 31. See a full list of suggested items below. 

Brigita Djakovich, assistant manager of ADRA Community Centre Logan—one of the ADRA projects on the frontline supporting survivors—shared how meaningful the bags can be. “When we hand these bags out to people affected by domestic violence, we often receive heartfelt feedback—tears of joy, smiles,and many positive comments,” she said.

AUC Women’s Ministries director Pastor Sylvia Mendez said the initiative is a simple way to meet a real need. “This is an incredible opportunity for Women’s Ministries to collaborate with ADRA to provide much-needed essentials. For many of us, we take these things for granted. However, for someone having to start again because of domestic violence, these little everyday items can make a world of difference.”

For more information about the upcoming rallies and online summit visit https://disciple.org.au/resources/enditnow.