Optus SIM cards for women in DV shelter

Through the provision of Optus SIM cards for the domestic violence shelter we have been able to immediately provide assistance to women who have come into the shelter where it hasn't been safe to keep the same phone number or where a phone plan has not been affordable.
We often receive donations of secondhand phones, which are helpful but we haven't previously been able to find a solution for phone plans that are safe and affordable for the women we support.
In one instance a woman came into the shelter who had stayed in an abusive relationship as she did not have an income due to visa restrictions. Providing her with a SIM and a 6-month phone and data plan meant that she was able to contact services such as immigration, health, and other supports as well as have access to the internet.
Another instance of the impact this has had on a resident has been to be able to quickly and easily change a phone number when they are being harassed by a perpetrator of violence. While we can block phone numbers, this doesn't prevent a perpetrator from calling from a no-caller ID. In one instance a resident received over 100 phone calls in one day from a perpetrator from a phone number. The Optus SIM card meant the phone number could quickly be changed and the harassment from the perpetrator immediately ceased.
Where there are instances of domestic abuse we often see that phone plans are always in the perpetrator's name as a form of financial control.
We thank Good360 and Optus