The faces of resistance, resilience and recovery will greet shoppers at Stockland Shellharbour over the month of January.
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An exhibition of images of the survivors of domestic and family violence will feature around the popular shopping precinct in an effort to raise more awareness of the issue.
The images, taken by the Illawarra Mercury's award-winning photographer Sylvia Liber, are from the Resistance. Resilience. Recovery. exhibition launched in Wollongong late last year in support of the Voices for Change campaign to establish a women's trauma recovery centre in the Illawarra.
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The campaign, supported by the Illawarra Mercury, is the initiative of the Illawarra Women's Health Centre which has a long-standing partnership with Stockland Shellharbour.
Centre manager Daniel Buchanan said the exhibition was a chance to raise awareness of an important issue and show that the centre "has a bigger role to play in the community".
"The exhibition is not something you'd expect to see in this environment and it serves a purpose as a conversation starter for people, which is a really important role for us to play," Mr Buchanan said.
"We are really proud of our partnership with the Women's Health Centre and we absolutely support the centre's views and goals around the establishment of a trauma centre."
The relationship between the IWHC and Stockland Shellharbour saw the establishment of a "safe room" at the centre where victims can meet safely with support staff from the IWHC.
IWHC general manager Sally Stevenson said the exhibition at the shopping centre gave the issue incredible local exposure.
"What Stocklands is doing from both a corporate and community perspective is exactly the kind of support we are after," Ms Stevenson said.
The exhibition is in four separate locations in the centre: The top level next to Sketchers, the area in front of Target, in the amenities corridor near the fish market and near the Universal Store on the top level.
If you would like to join the campaign to support the trauma recovery centre visit https://womenstraumacentre.wordpress.com/
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Julian O'Brien
Editor of the Illawarra Mercury and former editor of The Advocate (North-West Tasmania). Journalism is simply about telling good stories well and we do so now across a broader platform than ever before. Our role as a regional masthead is to not only share the stories our readers care about but to be a passionate torch bearers for community at every opportunity. We are stronger together.
Editor of the Illawarra Mercury and former editor of The Advocate (North-West Tasmania). Journalism is simply about telling good stories well and we do so now across a broader platform than ever before. Our role as a regional masthead is to not only share the stories our readers care about but to be a passionate torch bearers for community at every opportunity. We are stronger together.
