Sisters Inside launches Make It Happen campaign to raise $50,000 for women and children this Christmas.
Christmas is around the corner and Sisters Inside has the perfect gift idea.
The justice advocacy organisation, based in Brisbane, hopes community will join them in raising enough money in the lead up to the festive holidays to make a difference in the lives of 100 women and their children.
Debbie Kilroy, who heads up Sisters Inside which advocates for criminalised and imprisoned women and girls said the organisation was committed to gifting the women and their families $500 each to make a difference in their lives this Christmas.
‘I want to see all these women and children experience the holiday season without a sense of missing out or facing the hardship of not having anything to share.’
‘The sense of loss at Christmas can be extremely painful for children and life-lasting; we hope this campaign will be a step in the right direction in taking away some of that pain and creating positive memories.’
Ms Kilroy said the festive season was one of the toughest times for women inside and also those building their lives following release from prison.
‘As a society our structures of support for women and their families during their incarceration and once they leave prison fall short in every way,’ Ms Kilroy said.
‘For women incarcerated at Christmas the pain is often crippling.’
‘It is a time when they are without their children and their children are without their mothers. It is a time when they watch the world around them celebrate family and they cannot be with theirs.’
Ms Kilroy said one of the toughest realities and something many people in the community were unaware of was that most women behind bars were there because of crimes of poverty.
‘Most women are incarcerated have been subjected to life-long abuse,’ Ms Kilroy said.
‘Helping to change their life experience is also about changing our lives and attitudes to how and why women are incarcerated.’
‘We can all do something whether it be supporting this campaign to make life a little easier or stepping up to support changing the system.’
Ms Kilroy said she hoped people could find $5, $10 or whatever they could spare to help Make It Happen this Christmas for 100 families.
Learn more about Sisters Inside here www.sistersinside.com.au
