What We Did:

Applied community donations and internal funding to expand the amount and availability of ALL areas of financial and food assistance for women experiencing financial disadvantage and poverty:

• Emergency Relief and food / fuel vouchers
• Gabrielle Fund for women in DV o Food Relief, (bread, meat, dry goods)
• Sourcing fresh meat, fruit & Vegetables where possible
• Broadened eligibility during COVID

What We Did:

Set up contactless options for receiving food hampers and emergency relief 

Advocated for food drop-off and welfare checks with police and other services for families in home quarantine due to COVID-19 Infection

Established partnership with the ‘No Interest Loans’ NILS scheme to support women escaping violence

What we did:

Provided support / information / advocacy / referral services for individual women experiencing injustice and inequality.

Supporting the rights of women and children to be safe and to be treated with dignity and respect, organising public awareness events.

Reclaim the Night (virtual event) 

International Women’s Day (small in person event)

Stop Domestic Violence initiatives

Increased services to women during COVID and increased eligibility for services to those not assisted by Government COVID relief measures (eg: overseas students, non-residents)

Increased the development of resources for community and sector partners during COVID to support women in DV and working with Visa holders

What we did:

Increased lobbying and political representation on behalf of women’s equity and safety issues, including access to services by non-vaccinated clients

Increased submissions for funding to address women’s equity & safety issues

Increased use of social media on the rights of women and raising awareness on equity and safety issues

Assessed and adjusted work practice and consistency to support equal access to available services and resources provided by The Women’s Cottage during COVID

What we didn’t do: Plans for an in-service forum with workers and management on ‘what does it mean to be a feminist service’ were put on hold again because of COVID. However, connections were made at the International Federation of Settlements and Neighbourhood Centres Conference to get support in making this happen in the coming year.

What we did:

Supporting women’s legal rights:

Access to Apprehended Violence Orders

Referrals for legal advice /Family Law advocacy

Advocacy: police, DCJ, court support & SAMS meetings

Victim Services applications support

National Redress (Institutional Sexual Abuse) application support and advocacy

Convening local domestic violence networking group

Representing the issues of women’s rights at local, state, and federal levels

What we did:

Multiple successful new funding partnerships at community, local business, and corporate level to increase services available to vulnerable women and children

Successful joint submissions with Link Wentworth Housing for new crisis accommodation building

Increased partnerships work with Hawkesbury City Council on the local Domestic Violence Action Plan

What we did:

Expanded the amount and availability of ALL areas of financial and food assistance for women experiencing financial disadvantage and poverty:

• Emergency Relief and food / fuel vouchers
• Gabrielle Fund for women in DV
• Food Relief, (bread, meat, dry goods
• Operating Foodbank for fresh fruit & Vegetables
• Broadened eligibility during COVID

What we didn’t do:

• Have not yet set up as a ‘No Interest Loans’ NILS scheme outlet. We hope to introduce this service option in the coming year
• The fresh food program was suspended during COVID. This will be reassessed once it is safe to do so.

What we did:

Provided support / information / advocacy / referral services for individual women experiencing injustice and inequality. Supporting the rights of women and children to be safe and to be treated with dignity and respect, organising public awareness events.

• Reclaim the Night
• International Women’s Day
• Stop Domestic Violence initiatives
• Increased services to women during COVID and increased eligibility for services to those not assisted by Government COVID relief measures (eg: overseas students, nonresidents)
• Increased the development of resources for community and sector partners during COVID to support women in DV
• Increased lobbying and political representation on behalf of women’s equity & safety issues

What we did:

• Increased submissions for funding to address women’s equity & safety issues (Successfully secured Govt. funding for crisis accommodation units and corporate grants for increased hrs)
• Increased use of social media on the rights of women and raising awareness on equity and safety issues
• Introduced new policy and procedures supporting best practice service delivery for Aboriginal clients and support of Aboriginal workers.
• Assessed and adjusted work practice and consistency to support equal access to available services and resources provided by The Women’s Cottage.

What we didn’t do:

Plans to for an in-service forum with workers and management on ‘what does it mean to be a feminist service’ have been put on hold because of COVID. Still on agenda.

What we did:

Supporting women’s legal rights:

• Access to Apprehended Violence Orders
• Referrals for legal advice /Family Law advocacy
• Advocacy: police, DCJ, court support & SAMS meetings
• Victim Services applications support
• National Redress (Institutional Sexual Abuse) application support
• Convening local domestic violence networking group
• Representing the issues of women’s rights at local, state and federal levels (including with the NSW Governor).

What we did:

Increased partnerships at all levels of service:

• Joint HUBS submissions (Hawkesbury Unites for Better Services)
• New connection with international services for COVID & DV
• New funding partnerships with corporate business
• New funding partnerships with local business
• Local representative to LCSA
• Increased partnerships with sporting and community groups: eg: Lions Club, Rotary, CWA, Zonta, women’s golf group.

What we did:

Provided;

• Emergency Relief
• Food Vouchers
• Petrol Vouchers
• Operating the Gabrielle Fund, setting up as a ‘No Interest Loans’ NILS Agency

What we did:

Provided Food Vouchers and Food Relief, (bread, meat, dry goods), Operating Foodbank for fresh fruit & Vegetables

What we did:

Supported the rights of women and children to be safe and to be treated with dignity and respect, organising public awareness events (Reclaim the Night, International Women’s Day, Stop Domestic Violence initiatives)

What we did:

Provided support / information / advocacy / referral services for individual women experiencing injustice and inequality

What we did:

Supported women’s legal rights and access:

• To Apprehended Violence Orders, Family Law
• Referrals for legal advice, advocacy with police/FACS, court support / SAMS meetings participation

What we did:

Regional HUBS Partnership projects currently in development:

• Reducing Loneliness and Increasing Kindness
• Joint approach addressing impacts of Domestic Violence, increasing social planning / local action plans and creating new men as role models programs