There’s a lot of things to miss right now – friends, family, travelling outside my LGA, travelling outside my state… travelling anywhere. But what I’m really missing at the moment is food. And not just food itself (I’m definitely not starving), but rather the experience of food. The comfort, spontaneity and excitement of having food […]
read moreHope – When You Least Expect It
“Do people speak up when they hear or see violence? Or do they just turn a blind eye and pretend it’s not their business?” After working in DV for so long, I still ask myself these questions. Despite all the new TV shows, podcasts and social media I’m still caught wondering about how much […]
read moreNever a Wrong Door
Working with women for women was a big change from one of my previous careers where I worked as an Administrative Assistant to the Financial Controller of an International Property & Investment company. While that job was a good experience, working on the frontline helping women every day is something else! My role as […]
read moreCaring, it’s Life Changing
As a case worker, supporting women with children who are fleeing domestic violence comes with many emotions. Walking alongside a family and being part of their journey and witnessing small wins along the way is what keeps me going. Whenever I get asked what I do for work and I tell them, the response […]
read moreDonations Deliver Happiness to Everyone
Recently a family who were moving to Queensland arrived at our doors to donate some of their kids toys and baby goods. During the visit, the father said he was a barber and he would be happy to donate haircuts to the children. A family took up his offer. The father came back to donate […]
read moreThey all call me ‘Miss’
I once read a quote by Vincent Van Gogh that said, “Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.” Being a Child and Youth (CYW) worker means no two days are the same. On the surface, what we do might seem easy to define but actually the […]
read moreMarryanne’s Mission To Find Out What’s Missing
Marryanne’s Mission to Find Out What’s Missing In light of the latest devastating murders of two women, we need to ask ourselves, what can we do so that women don’t fall through the gaps in services and care? What changes can we make so every woman gets the best response to support them in […]
read moreLeaving is Never Easy
As a caseworker working with women experiencing Domestic Violence, I’ve learnt that there is no no one perfect road to safety. Sometimes it is direct and other times it’s a learning experience with various stops along the way. Recently I was working with a particular client and the experience genuinely broke my heart. “Everything […]
read moreMy First Year as a Rapid Response Worker
I come from a background in medical science and a laboratory so quiet you can hear a pin drop, so moving to Bonnie’s was quite different to what I had become accustomed to. The office here has a constant buzz of activity with women coming in and out, children’s toys scattered across the floor […]
read moreMy first march, my first ‘Pussy Grabs Back’
Just two days ago, I walked alongside tens of thousands of Australians who protested in the streets of our capital cities and towns against gender based violence. #March4Justice was sparked by the bravery of Brittany Higgins coming forward with the truth about her experience of sexual assault in Parliament house. The march was an […]
read moreStill Protesting 100 years later
International Women’s Day (IDW) was never on my radar until I started at Bonnies. In my previous profession, as a teacher, we didn’t really celebrate or particularly talk about it. I regret that now, and see how important the celebration of this day can be for sparking conversation and learning. In the lead up to […]
read moreTalking TV – Don’t Miss This!
I realise I’ve been telling everyone about a new series called Morning Wars. It’s an American drama about abuse of power and sexual assault in the workplace. It’s set on a TV morning talk show in the wake of the #MeToo movement and it’s had a profound effect on my thinking. It hit home […]
read more