I’m Anyce, the new family worker here at Bonnie’s. In my role, I help women and children who are escaping domestic violence find safety, freedom and a better life.  Even though I’m only a few weeks into the job, it feels like I’ve been doing it forever… Because well, I kind of have.  In the […]

I am not a person who always likes change, but this year has been different. Earlier this year I moved out of my beloved house that I’ve owned for years, and now I’m moving again.  In my case, I am fortunate that there are many good things that come with this, but it is still […]

It was 1996 and Diane was just 21 when she first started working at Bonnie’s. During her time there she saw Bonnie Women’s Refuge, a small grassroots feminist collective, begin to transition into the community organisation Bonnie Support Services is today. Lisabel Zoomed in with Diane to hear stories about her time at Bonnie’s. Hey […]

Hi Bonnie’s Blog readers,  This is my first blog, so I thought I’d introduce myself: I’m Georgia, a member of the DVRE and Covid Response team at Bonnie Support Services. I didn’t always work with women or in social work, I was actually in hospitality marketing before I got the job here. I took the […]

This blog was written in reflection on our Happiness Is… campaign. A series of illustrations that celebrate  the seemingly ‘small’ but powerful moments women experience when they are free from domestic violence. Read Program Manager An’s, Happiness Is… moment below: Every morning, I’m always rushing. I wake up around 6am, usually to a toddler’s foot on […]

My first client here at Bonnie’s was an experience I will never forget, a young mum with three children who had escaped an abusive marriage. When I first met this particular family, mum was clearly overwhelmed. She was stressed, she was tired. She had lived in different refuges for almost two years and her seven-year-old […]

It was New Year’s Eve 2021 and I was at work when I got the call that my Dad was in the hospital. The doctors had tried everything, and it wasn’t looking good – at that moment all I wanted to do was go home and be with him. The thing was, he lived up […]

Face to Face Creative Space is back! Ruth, my co-facilitator and I are so excited that after 2 hard years of trying to run this group during COVID lockdowns and restrictions we can finally be in each others  physical presence again.  The Creative Space is a program that focuses on the healing nature of art […]

Here at Bonnie’s, I’m the person who approves brokerage requests from my colleagues for the families they are working with. This means my team of workers will pop by, or write to me requesting anything their family needs. The requests range from social connections, removalist, medical needs and day to day expenses.    However, the […]

  12 months seems like a long time to help a woman to safety from domestic violence but it’s not. Not when abuse has existed in their families for years, even decades. As a caseworker, it’s my job to do everything to help break this cycle. In some cases it can take years, in other’s, when […]

Growing up in my hometown was pretty dreamy. It’s a coastal town, where weekends were always at the beach. You know, sunbaking, swimming, maybe even snorkeling but surfing? Nah…that was for the boys.   It’s no secret surfing is traditionally dominated by men. It’s better now, but it’s taken a while.   So after a […]

  My name is Peta, I am a Gooreng Gooreng / Kabi Kabi woman and also one of the Family Workers here at Bonnie’s. These last two years have been tough on all of us with this COVID going on!  For me the journey has been very challenging. The only time I got a brief […]