A little while back, I received a phone call from a woman. She was softly spoken with a hesitant voice, enquiring about obtaining support for her and her 2 children. She had been physically assaulted and she was summoned to appear in court to testify. I invited her to Bonnie’s to hear more about her […]

On the 14th November 2014 I made the decision to leave the relationship I was currently in due to ongoing domestic violence. I left with my son who was at the time eight years old in hope of starting a new life. I tried to find accommodation with my brother but due certain circumstances this […]

My role as a child and youth worker often involves lengthy outings with Mum and kids to Centrelink, childcare centres, medical centres and counsellors. In many of these trips, children get bored, upset or unsettled during the wait time to see a worker. When mum is trying to manage her children, the lens through which I perceive her […]

“At the last Census collection 2226 people were identified as being homeless in Fairfield whilst 1058 people in Liverpool were similarly recognized. That’s almost 3500 people in the area, experiencing homelessness.’’ Change is something that can occur when people with the same idea work together to make it happen. This is why Bonnie’s and other […]

It never ceases to amaze me, the strength and perseverance of women who are set on achieving their goals. I didn’t know what to expect when I started at Bonnie’s. However I did know that I wanted to help make things easier for our mothers and their children. It’s been inspiring to see the strength […]

One Friday night I had the privilege to share some time with a bubbly and spirited young person (who we will call Rosie). This experience had a profound and positive impact on me. As family workers, we don’t normally get much one-on-one time with children. Our focus is more focused towards supporting mum to achieve […]

A small team from Bonnie’s had the privilege to travel to Darwin in May this year, to attend the Overcoming Indigenous Family Violence conference. Those of us who attended shared our insights and appreciations when we returned. Here are some of our main takeaways for you. An – Program Manager I was excited to be […]

I am often struck by the power of a phrase or an expression. Those few words can convey and embody a person’s experience so poignantly at a time in their lives when most words fail. I have worked for a number of years as a caseworker assisting people with complex disabilities, asylum seekers, refugees and […]

Over the last 4 weeks, I’ve had the amazing opportunity to coordinate an Aboriginal Art Workshop with local Aboriginal Artist Danielle Sullivan. The ‘painting group ‘ consisted of both clients and staff and we’ve all been working together for one common goal – to bring our undercover area to life. As it turned out though, […]

In my work environment, I see gender stereotyping all the time. I see this in the way the children dress and the games they play. I see it in the roles they believe their parents are required or designed to do. I often get told that mothers do the cooking and cleaning, or look after […]

I remember my first client really clearly. It was a difficult case for someone like me, just starting out but it was a good outcome. And that was so motivating. It was like, ‘Yes, I can do this!’ I really wanted to work in this field and it gave me hope about what we could […]

Dixie Link-Gordon, a prominent figure in the Indigenous Women’s Rights sector and a domestic violence educator, photo by Dean Golja “National Reconciliation Week (NRW) is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia. Reconciliation must […]