22 Oct Merc Capital Support The Sanctuary Through Winter Wonderland Gala Dinner
On Friday, 8th July 2016 Merc Capital proudly sponsored The Sanctuary Winter Wonderland Gala dinner at the Castle Hill RSL Club. The Sanctuary help provide vital crisis shelter to women and children fleeing domestic violence. Providing shelter and qualified staff means women and children can escape domestic violence situations without having to worry about obstacles such as:
- Fear for safety
- Pressures and worries about the children
- Isolation from others
- Legal issues
- Financial issues
The Sanctuary’s Hills Women’s Shelter opened in April 2016 after months of dedicated work by the board of Women’s Community Shelters. This shelter aims at providing short term emergency accommodation and support in a safe environment. The Queensland Investment Corporation kindly donated the 6 bedroom property rent free for 3 years.
The Winter Wonderland Gala Dinner was attended by influential business leaders, well-known personalities and members of the community who are committed to The Sanctuary’s mission. Key speakers for the night included:
- Lieutenant General David Morrison – 2016 Australian of the Year
- Danielle Spencer – Sanctuary board member
- Tracey Spicer – Ambassador to The Sanctuary
- Stuart Benson – Special guest Auctioneer
This black tie event aimed to raise awareness for the amazing work The Sanctuary does along with helping to raise funds to continue the mission of providing women and children with an escape from domestic violence.
CEO and Managing Director for Merc Capital, Tony Merhi, was quoted on the night as saying “For a woman to get out of the situation she faces, she needs a range of support services, not just help finding affordable housing. These include access to counselling, health care, assistance to navigate government bureaucracy, legal help, further education and employment to reestablish control over her life.
At a time of reduced government spending, Women’s Community Shelters offers a new and ground-breaking ‘tri-partite’ funding model in which Government, philanthropy/business, and community all work to provide funding to establish and operate shelters.”
Events such as the Winter Wonderland Gala Dinner are a big part of The Sanctuary’s fundraising calendar. Nights such as these help provide The Sanctuary with the resources they need to continue their fantastic work.
