Thanks to DULUX our clients have a great place to stay

14 March 2019

We believe that providing women and children impacted by family violence with the best possible environment while in our care can greatly influence their recovery and future. In these uncertain times providing a safe, comfortable place to stay is even more important.  

For women and children escaping an abusive situation, they already experiencing isolation having to leave behind family, friends and their community. With the current COVID-19 crisis their isolation is two-fold as they are now unable to go out to re-establish links with new schools, support services and the local community around the our refuge.

In mid march the wonderful Volunteer Team from the DuluxGroup offered to repaint the separate bedsit apartment at Kara House. The bedsit is a stand alone unit which provides safe accommodation, particularly for women with young babies and toddlers. Each year Kara House provides refuge to over 100 families meaning all our areas are well used and in need of constant upkeep.

We were incredibly pleased to receive the email from Dulux and to hear we had been chosen as a community project this year. Team leader Samodha Dharmarsi was on board from day one understanding the difficulties of executing such a project in environment which must remain hidden to the greater public as well as our organisational commitment to the least possible disruption to the clients currently in the refuge.

The transformation was amazing. The team of six worked right through the day creating a beautiful and fresh space ready for the current occupants, a mum and 2 kids, to move back in to the next day. The best surprise is that not only did they repaint the bedsit but also repainted the outside courtyard creating a beautiful space for all our clients take some much needed time out.

“We had the fantastic opportunity to give back to our community by redecorating one of the temporary residence units at the Secure Accommodation Refuge of Kara House. A massive thank you to my team Fareed Amini, Daryl The, Methma Suriyaarachchi Simon Tranand Virginia Hau who worked tirelessly with such great enthusiasm converting the house to a home in one day and Dulux Technical Services Specialist Chris Seuren who guided us with product training to get the job done well and joining us on the day as well. Thank you, Kara House for this wonderful opportunity. We are humbly proud to be able to make a small difference in someone's life who is going through such a traumatic experience.”

Samohda Dharmarsi – Volunteer Team Leader – IT Project Coordinator Dulux Group

In the current crisis women and children in the refuge are spending most of their time indoors. Like everyone else in Victoria they are home schooling children, navigating supermarkets and social - but they are not in their own home, they have no family support and in a totally unfamiliar location. The refurbishment of the bedsit could not have happened at a better time by helping up to provide a safe, fresh and clean environment for our clients.

We are incredibly grateful for the ongoing support of the DuluxGroup over the past few years and we can not thank Samohda and the team enough for their kindness and hard work.

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