Star Weekly is looking back at the best stories of last year and this is one of them.
McAuley community service provider for women and children celebrated 15 years of operating on August 1.
The Footscray service works with those who have closely-linked issues of family violence and homelessness.
Chief executive Jocelyn Bignold said she has always enjoyed watching the evolution of McAuley.
“In the last 15 years I can document clear specific times of change and innovation, which in my view has been progressive,” she said.
“These moments have been very innovative and we have another stage of change ahead of us.”
McAuley houses in Footscray and Ballarat provide safe and stable longer-term accommodation for women, which Ms Bignold said is only the beginning of the resources they possess.
“McAuley works at the intersection of homelessness, family violence and and mental health in particularly,” she said.
“We look at the woman or child in front of us, and cater the service we provide to them.”
For the 110 staff that work with McAuley, it is about advocating for women that cannot do it themselves.
“These women are not necessarily in a position to speak directly to the government, we are.”
Ms Bignold said the team share different roles and responsibilities, work at different houses and offices, but they all enjoy and share the same success.
“When somebody from the team tells me they have had the best day , that is fantastic,” she said.
“When we can share in these people’s successes in finding long term housing and gaining employment and being engaged with education, that is the best part.
“If we can actually make a change in the system for the better, that’s a job worth doing.”
Jennifer Pittorino
