At Sydney Women’s Fund, we recently brought together a passionate group of supporters for our annual women’s charity site visit – a day of listening, learning, and deep connection with some of the grassroots organisations we’re proud to work with.
Across Greater Sydney, women and families face enormous challenges, including inequity, housing insecurity, and gender-based violence. This visit gave our guests the opportunity to witness firsthand the incredible work being done by these frontline organisations, where hope and change are being delivered every day.
The From Now Program
We began our journey at the Women’s and Girls’ Emergency Centre (WAGEC), where we met with CEO Nicole Yade and heard about their From Now program, which supports women leaving the criminal justice system, helping them to rebuild their lives. Nicole reminded us that meaningful support takes time and deep commitment.
“The issues these women face have been many decades in the making, so a few weeks of great casework is not going to fix it,” Nicole said.
“We work with some of the most marginalised women and children in society and are the only service that will offer a bed to a woman coming out of prison.”
WAGEC’s work is for the long haul – there are no quick fixes. And like so many grassroots services, they don’t receive government funding. That’s why philanthropic support is so urgently needed.
The Reconnect Project
Next, we visited The Reconnect Project, a brilliant social enterprise that breathes new life into donated tech and empowers women and young people through training and access to employment opportunities.
This incredible initiative has a multi-pronged approach – providing training and employment to neurodivergent youth, closing the digital divide and saving hundreds of devices from landfill.
The Reconnect Project’s technicians repair and refurbish each device, replacing broken parts and installing new batteries so that the devices are fit for purpose.
Their funding goes towards training programs and keeping the lights on at their workshop and shopfront store.
Liverpool Neighbourhood Connections
Our last stop was at Colombo Social, where we were hosted by Plate it Forward. We were honoured to hear from the co-CEOs of Liverpool Neighbourhood Connections, Pat Hall OAM and Carole-Anne Priest, who shared the highs and lows of supporting their community. With limited government funding and rising demand, their services – like so many we support – often rely on the generosity of donors to survive and thrive.
One attendee said, “It was a wonderful day and marvellous that so many impressive women attended. Everyone I spoke to was deeply touched and inspired by what we heard and saw.”
Another shared, “Your warmth and passion for Sydney Women’s Fund shone through. I particularly liked the visits to the WAGEC From Now program and The Reconnect Project. Nicole and Annette are very inspiring women!”
A huge thank you to our charity partners for taking time out of their very busy days, for opening their doors to us, sharing their stories, and doing the hard, vital work that changes lives every day. And to our supporters: thank you for walking beside us, standing with women, and believing in the power of collective giving.
Together, we are building a stronger, safer, more equitable Sydney for all women and families.
More support means more women and families can access the help they need. To donate, please click here.
