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Next time you’re in Myer picking out a shiny toaster from your friend’s wedding gift registry, take a moment to peruse the Give Registry.
Together with The Salvation Army, the department store has established a compassionate giving program, designed to assist women (or men) fleeing domestic abuse.
The premise is simple. For many women (you’ve heard the horrifying statistics: one in four Australian women have experienced violence at the hands of an intimate partner), the emotional decision to leave an abusive relationship is often bound up in practical concerns. Where will I live? How will I feed my children?
Cue the Give Registry, which comprises 30 items deemed essential for family violence survivors trying to rebuild their lives. Items most of us take for granted, like a toaster, baby socks, or a microwave.
Just like a wedding registry, customers can take their pick from the list – and Myer will match each donation, item for item.
“We’re not trying to solve domestic violence by giving a set of plates,” Myer chief executive Richard Umbers told Fairfax. “We are trying to solve it by raising a level of awareness that we could never have achieved through a conventional corporate relationship.”
Indeed, any initiative that helps abuse victims land on their feet should be applauded – and supported. Next stop, Myer.
RELATED: Domestic Violence Can Stop With You
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