Powerlink teams from across Queensland have donated 10 second-hand phones and $2,000 to DV Safe Phone, a Queensland-based charity assisting survivors of domestic violence.
The second-hand phones were donated by Powerlink teams in Townsville, Gladstone and Brisbane, enabling power to be put back into the hands of survivors of unsafe relationships ahead of Christmas.
The financial assistance will directly assist with repurposing and delivering phones quickly to those who need help at a time of heightened risk of domestic violence.
Executive sponsor of Powerlink’s Inclusive Energy Committee Val King recognised the impact of unsafe relationships across the community.
“We often see the tragic effects of unsafe relationships on lives of every-day Queenslanders,” she said.
“We all have a role to play in calling out abusive and controlling behaviours and assisting those who need help, where we can.
“I am incredibly proud of the Powerlink team who led this initiative, hoping for a safer future for families right across Queensland.”
DV Safe Phone Founder and CEO Ashton Wood said anyone with a phone has the power to help someone in an unsafe relationship.
“We see across Christmas and the new year, an increase in people needing help to escape an abusive or controlling situation,” he said.
“We are grateful for Powerlink’s commitment at a challenging and busy time of the year.
“These phones empower the most vulnerable to gain control and restore normality in their lives.
“This donation, along with many others, hands someone’s life back to them.”
DV Safe Phone is a registered charity who collects, repairs and gives free mobile phones to domestic violence survivors, through over 300 domestic violence and law enforcement agencies, safe houses and hospitals Australia-wide.
