OUR Programs & Initiatives
Love Bites
Love Bites is an extremely successful respectful relationships program authored by NAPCAN (National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect) that the CCRDFV offer to the high school aged community in the Gladstone Region. Love Bites is sponsored by Boyne Island Lions Club and presented by trained facilitators through the CCRDFV. Love Bites is based on best practice standards for education programs as recommended by the Federal Government funded Australian Domestic and Family Violence Clearing House and other leading academics in the area of violence against women.
Love Bites consists of two interactive workshops followed by a creative session. The interactive workshops engage students on real life scenarios in both domestic and family violence and sexual assault awareness. Love Bites covers a variety of subjects from consent, what a healthy relationship should look like, case studies, sexual offences, through to tapping into the student’s creativity in the form of artwork demonstrating key phrases learnt in the interactive sessions. Love Bites challenges the stereotypes young people may have about these very important issues and encourages young people to make good, respectful decisions when it comes to domestic and family violence and sexual assault. Other aims of the program include challenging gender stereotypes, attitudes and values that perpetrate male violence against women, and deconstruct myths that exist in the hopes to bring attitudinal changes. Love Bites is aimed at young people aged 15-17 years. The program can be delivered in most school-based settings including youth justice, alternative education programs and any other school-based program. The program is designed to be delivered over a full day however can be delivered in separate sessions upon request.
The CCRDFV has been presenting the Love Bites Program in the Gladstone Region since 2013 and is currently presented to approximately 800 youth across the Gladstone Region yearly. The artwork produced by the students in the program is displayed in the Gladstone Art Gallery throughout the month of May for Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month as well as being utilised in future awareness campaigns and yearly calendars.
The CCRDFV are also involved in the presentation of Love Bites Junior which is aimed at Year 7 to Year 9 students. The Love Bites Junior program covers respectful relationships age appropriate to these younger students and includes use of technology, bullying,
stereotypes, gender, jealousy, sexual harassment, homophobia, discrimination, jealousy,
warning signs and more. Love Bites Junior is available on request through the CCRDFV.
If you are interested in bringing the Love Bites program at your school/program please Contact Us
OUR Programs & Initiatives
Empowering Maintenance Program
The Empowering Maintenance Program (EMP) is an initiative which was created to empower women in crisis situations, allowing them the freedom to grow and learn the most basic of vehicle maintenance and care. An operationally sound vehicle, and an awareness of what needs to be done to maintain that vehicle is not only an essential life skill, but for some a means to be able to achieve the simplest of tasks and make daily life easier. DFV can take many forms and one of those is isolation, at times, damage to vehicles can occur in order to continue to isolate an aggrieved from their friends and family. Having a vehicle is a gift which brings independence. Making sure that you know how it runs, and the basic fundamentals of car maintenance means that you can continue to have that independence.
The EMP is sponsored by NRG (can we insert link?) and run by a qualified female mechanic who volunteers her time and knowledge in a very relaxed and safe environment ensuring the best learning opportunities for participants. The EMP is open to all members of the public: male, female and youth learning to drive, and private or closed sessions can also be offered to ensure the privacy of clients. If you would like to inquire about a private EMP session for your staff or clients or for details of upcoming public sessions of the program click here.
OUR Programs & Initiatives
Education and Awareness Training
CCRDFV members attend organisations, businesses and events to share the work of the CCRDFV, and to provide information and awareness to key stakeholders who may come across DFV in their work, through their clients, or because they have experienced DFV. The CCRDFV regularly attends the Gladstone Base Hospital to share key points of DFV with new Doctors and medical staff. Does your business or organisation need some upskilling and awareness? Please subscribe to the CCRDFV or email the CCRDFV about how you can arrange someone to attend your organisation.
OUR Programs & Initiatives
Paint the Town Purple
Have you seen purple ribbons are around the Gladstone Region, particularly in the month of May? This is one initiative that the CCRDFV utilise to raise awareness of the insidious nature of DFV and the work of the CCRDFV. Why Purple? We thought you would never ask! Besides being the colour of the CCRDFV, the colour purple traditionally symbolizes justice and dignity – two values strongly associated with equality. Equality is an expectation that we all hold dear when we are in a respectful relationship. Sadly, we all know that in an unhealthy relationship, where DFV exists, the perpetrator of DFV exerts power and control over another, a person they claim to love. Paint the town purple is one of the biggest awareness campaigns of the CCRDFV. During the month of May the challenge is to ‘Paint the Town Purple’ but we can’t do this alone. This is where we ask you to ‘Paint the Town Purple’ within your own circles of influence. There are a number of ways your business, school, club or team can get behind painting the town purple during DV Awareness Month. We have seen schools dress purple for a day, purple raffles, purple sports events, purple morning teas, what could you do?
OUR Programs & Initiatives
Other Programs
Rise Up Be Yourself (RUBY)
Rise Up Be Yourself (RUBY) is a personal fitness program run by the Gladstone PCYC and sponsored by the CCRDFV. The program is offered to female victims and survivors of DFV and aims to empower them to take care of themselves physically and provides a discrete and safe environment to source information to improve their safety and situation.
Avenue of Peace
The Avenue of Peace is a memorial space dedicated to those who have lost their lives to DFV. The Avenue of peace is located at Friend Park, Barney Point, Gladstone and was created through working with our amazing partners, the Gladstone Regional Council and Zonta Gladstone. The CCRDFV hold a remembrance ceremony on the first Wednesday of May every year as part of
DFVP month.
Meet and Greet
Meet and greet is an informal meet at a local coffee shop to allow members of the public to enquire about CCRDFV or raise local concerns in a relaxed atmosphere over a cup of coffee.
Sometimes meet and greets are held to raise awareness about recent or ongoing partnerships with CCRDFV. Those attending are offered a CCRDFV Resource pack, a smile and good company.