The Narre Warren South Safety House Committee is on the look out for new members to help young children feel safe. Back are Storm Shaddick, Isaac Wong, Joel Barnett and Corey
WOULD you offer assistance to a distressed person who came to your door?
If you answered yes, then the Narre Warren South Safety House committee wants you.
The suburb is busy establishing a community safety network that will not only be there for children, but also for seniors and anyone who does not feel safe when walking in the Narre Warren South area.
Many children grow up recognising the Safety House symbol as a sign to look for if they feel threatened or intimidated while out and about and committee secretary and monitoring coordinator Samm Strickland-Wong has urged people to get involved.
“I have young children who attend a local school and have noticed that there are a large number of children who have to make their own way to and from school.
“As Narre Warren South is such a large suburb, the Safety House program wants to ensure that children can be more confident should they come into a situation that they may not be able to handle themselves.
“They will know that if they see a Safety House symbol displayed on a letterbox, there would be someone at that home to contact the police, if necessary,” she said.
A Safety House householder is not expected to provide food, drink, medication, transport or shelter to anyone who calls on them.
The Safety House program is a community-based network of safe places aimed at ensuring the safety of children and the elderly in our community.
Victoria Police supports the initiative and with thousands of families now living in the Narre Warren South area, Ms Strickland-Wong said the committee was on the lookout for more households to be part of the Safety House Network.
“There is no cost to be part of the Safety House network, however, before being issued as a Safety Household, each person over the age of 17 must be prepared to have a police check and be interviewed, along with other requirements to ensure suitability,” she said.
“Currently we have over 40 homes as part of the Narre Warren South Safety House Network.
“We provide full support as well as regular monitoring to ensure the continuing success and creditability of our program,” Ms Strickland-Wong said.
Reasons for using a Safety House may include an approach by a person who harms them, an approach by a person who makes them feel unsafe, being bullied, seriously injured or hurt, frightened by animals, offered drugs or being lost.
“The Safety House program is just one way we hope to build a better sense of community and safety in the area we choose to live in.
“By working with the community and local police, we are publicly showing that Narre Warren South can be a safer place to live, but we need more families to be involved to make this happen,” she said.
Interested families are invited to contact Ms Strickland-Wong on 0425 870 965 or check out the Safety House website www.safetyhouse.org.au.
