PRONIA’s Cocktail event to expand its support programs through the “Safer Together” Foundation, a fundraising initiative to combat family violence, exceeded expectations by raising $85,000.
Held at Brunswick Town Hall last Friday, the cocktail fundraiser drew nearly 140 attendees.
Speeches from key figures, including PRONIA’s President Elpis Korosidis, CEO Tina Douvos-Stathopoulos, Merri-bek’s Mayor Angelica Panopoulos, PRONIA’s family unit coordinator Kathy Barbakos, and Safe and Equal’s Chair Maria Dimopoulos AM, highlighted the significance of the cause.
MC Samantha Stathopoulos, a PRONIA family violence project worker, guided the event that saw great success through ticket sales, sponsorships, and raffle tickets.
President Elpis Korosidis emphasized PRONIA’s commitment to providing a culturally sensitive and affiliated safe space for victims of domestic violence.
“Please rest assured that PRONIA is doing whatever it can to create a safe home for you and your children. That home will provide services in a culturally and linguistically sensitive manner. It will also have affiliations with other service providers such as police, lawyers, doctors and allied health professionals. In doing research for this presentation, I came across some statistics that fill me with great ignominy … one in four women experience domestic abuse; Victorian police respond to over 64,000 incidents of domestic abuse per annum” said PRONIA’s President Elpis Korosidis.
CEO Tina Douvos-Stathopoulos highlighted the mental health impact on young people and children, urging the community to support PRONIA’s initiative to address family violence.
“Children are five times more likely to receive a mental health service by the time they turn 18 after experiencing domestic and family violence with a staggering 88 per cent facing mental health problems, according to latest research,” Douvos-Stathopoulos noted.
She then urged the community to take responsibility and address the problem “by supporting PRONIA’s Foundation, we can make a positive impact on the lives of the families we serve and work towards a safer future together.”
