Mettle:
noun
a) a person’s ability to cope well with difficulties
b) spirit and resilience;
c) bravery and determination
Who are we?
Mettle Women Inc. (Mettle) is a national gift delivery service employing women who are experiencing homelessness due to domestic and family violence. We equip survivors of domestic and family violence with the skills, confidence, and financial security required to secure and maintain employment and in turn, safe and stable housing.
Why we exist - The problem
Domestic and family violence is the single largest driver of homelessness for women in Australia. The lack of safe and accessible employment and opportunities to establish financial independence can make it extremely difficult & dangerous to leave abusive environments. We exist to provide these opportunities and prevent women from returning to homelessness or their abuser.
How we (and you) help - Our solution:
You send your loved one a gift box for their birthday, graduation, breakup . . . any day that they might need a little reminder that you’re thinking of them.
Your order is manufactured, fulfilled and dispatched by women who have been referred to us by our partner crisis shelters. We provide paid employment , study scholarships, training & childcare subsidies to make their transition from homelessness & crisis into the work force an empowering & supported journey.
We assist these women to graduate onto stable employment or to secure study opportunities so that they continue to thrive beyond the Mettle Gifts Employment Program. Our goal is to ensure that once these women have secured safe housing, we can support them in maintaining that safety through financial security and holistic wrap around care.
- more than just employment
- more than just employment
A 6 month paid employment program to support survivors of domestic & family violence into the workforce in a safe and sustainable way.
Modules focus on: TRAINING (supply chain logistics, e-commerce, manufacturing, production & customer service.
Future Planning: Participants co-design an Employment Development Plan with our Safe Futures Coordinator and work towards graduating into safe employment with Mettle Employer Partners.
A fund established to assist in the removal of barriers resulting from lack of opportunity. When our revenue surpasses how many hours of paid employment we can offer, whist ensuring work is still meaningful, we direct funds to further supporting the women in our care through scholarships, study tuition, training & development, work uniforms, and study materials such as books, stationary and software.
Women often come to Mettle facing severe financial hardship. This fund allows the women in our care to get back on their feet so that they can start saving for their future. From car registration, legal fees, medical fees, and childcare subsidies to allow women who aren't eligible for Centrelink support to access work without exorbitant childcare fee's.
A program designed to retain connection and support with Mettle alumni. These quarterly classes are hosted for all previous and current Mettle participants and their families to strengthen peer connections, foster community, capacity build and promote self care.
We deliver condensed 6 week workshops for refuges in Western Australia. These intensive, intimate workshops focus on 6modules to find, attain and maintain safe work. We would love to hear from you if you would like a workshop delivered to women residing in your crisis or transitional accomodation.
Throughout 2022, we conducted a series of interviews with survivors around Australia to validate and enhance the digitised offering that we have been delivering in person since 2019. From May 2023 our employment development work book will be available online so that survivors around Australia have access to our resources.
