From the CEO – July 2020

From the CEO

Hi Friends, 

As the financial year comes to a close, I have been so moved by the support that WAGEC has received from our community, whether this be through time volunteered, donated goods or financial donations. Despite the challenges we have all have faced over the last several months, WAGEC has really felt the generosity and heart from our dedicated community. Thank you for being a part of this. We could not do it without you and each of you.

Through our end of financial year appeal we received over $7,000 to support our ACCESS Program and women’s journeys toward financial independence. A generous member of our community matched individual donations made, serving as a reminder that we truly are stronger together.

A stand out example of our community rallying together is the amazing people at Run For Good. Through their Home and Heart Project, they have collected $45,000 worth of furniture and whitegoods and raised $15,000. So far we have already been able to completely furnish 18 homes for women and children moving on from our crisis refuges. From furniture to IT, the Re-Connect Project has been up-cycling old laptops and phones for our ACCESS mentees.

Earlier this month, I joined a Kindness After Lockdown webinar, facilitated by the Executive Director of Social Justice at UTS, Verity Firth. We discussed the ways in which we, as community members and organisations, can continue to nurture this community spirit after the immediate needs of Covid-19. Each of these projects are tangible examples of how the WAGEC community continues to turn up, show kindness and support women and children in need.

In other exciting news, I am thrilled to announce the launch of WAGEC’s new service offering Here For You. Our new online resource Here For You helps guide women, allies or other survivors of violence to access information relevant to their situation and to assist their journey in seeking support. The resource is in direct response to many women who have told us that it can be overwhelming to know where to start in seeking information. Overtime we hope to grow the resource and reach as many people as possible.

Please continue to look out for one another, stay safe and take care. 

Helen