McAuley

What does 1,833 hours of volunteering look like?

This week is National Volunteer Week, and as always, we’re celebrating the incredible people who generously give their time, care and passion.

Our volunteers make a real difference in the lives of the women and children we support. Their impact is felt every day, bringing warmth and kindness to our community.

At our morning tea, volunteers shared how rewarding their experience has been. Many agreed they feel they get more out of volunteering than they give, which is a testament to how wonderful they really are.

This year’s theme, Your Year to Volunteer, recognises that there’s no one way to volunteer – it’s about finding a way to give back that works for you.

At McAuley, this can look like sorting donations, gift wrapping, online tutoring, cooking meals and even leading meditation sessions – there’s truly a volunteer role for everyone!

Thank you to all of our volunteers, we’re so grateful for everything you do 🩵

We're proud to be delivering the Safe at Home pilot in partnership with Meli, helping women and children in the Geelong and Barwon region to remain safely in their homes while support services work with the whole household to disrupt the violence.

If you're wondering if Safe at Home could help you or want to learn more about the trial, visit https://www.safeathome.org.au/

I really want to share this local information with the community. This post has been supported by Meli and McAuley Community Services for Women. 👇

Everyone deserves to feel safe in their own home.

The Safe at Home trial, a new early intervention approach to supporting people experiencing family violence, is now underway throughout the Barwon Region.

It aims to change the default system from women and children having to leave their homes to ‘escape’ violence, to one where they have a choice to stay safely in their own home while services work with the whole household to actively disrupt the violence.

Safe at Home is being delivered in partnership between McAuley Community Services for Women and Meli, supporting households with case management, legal and financial support, practical assistance and more.

The program is now taking referrals. For more information visit https://www.safeathome.org.au/

Are you worried that someone you know might be experiencing family violence?

It can be hard to know what to do in this situation – but you don’t have to be an expert to help.

Taking action can start with one simple yet powerful question: are you safe at home?

Mother’s Day is a time that should be filled with love and celebration.

But for many women, it’s not.

Decades of research tells us that women are at greater risk of family violence during pregnancy and in the months after giving birth. Instead of waking up to breakfast in bed this Sunday, countless mothers will wake up in fear, wondering how they’ll keep themselves and their children safe.

At McAuley, we see this reality every day. Right now, we’re supporting 72 mothers – each one hoping for a fresh start this Mother’s Day.

With your support, we can make that possible.

Donate now: https://www.mcauley.org.au/ways-to-give/donate/

We’re still riding high from an incredible afternoon at our annual lunch event, Safe at Home 2026: Turning a vision into reality.

It was so special to come together with so many supporters to reflect on the first year of our Safe at Home trial, and we were honoured to hear from Magistrate Pauline Spencer, who spoke about the importance of creating systems that truly support victim survivors to be safe.

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us and to our generous sponsors for helping us celebrate and raise money for Safe at Home.

📸 Photoform

It was a pleasure to welcome Meghan, Duchess of Sussex to McAuley House today. We were also joined by Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commissioner Micaela Cronin.

During a tour of the House, our CEO Jocelyn Bignold OAM discussed some of the systemic barriers for women and children experiencing homelessness or family violence and shared some of the initiatives we’re working on to address these.

The Duchess assisted with the lunch service, where she heard from some of the residents at McAuley House and our Ambassador Diana Connell.

We appreciate the opportunity to put a spotlight on our work and continue the conversation about creating a future where women and children can take control of their lives.

Image credit: AP

We’re celebrating a big milestone today!

40 years ago today, two Mercy Sisters took up residence at Regina Coeli, seeking out homeless women in need of a safe place to stay.

This is a special anniversary for McAuley, marking the beginning of our work with women experiencing homelessness.

The Sisters of Mercy lived alongside residents, empowering them through the quiet power of connection. It was a radical response to homelessness at the time.

Much more than accommodation, Regina Coeli was a community – a place for women who didn’t fit in elsewhere, who were homeless, dealing with mental health issues or family violence.

We’re proud to continue this legacy at McAuley. While the original building closed in 2016, this made way for McAuley Houses Footscray and Ballarat, creating new places of safety, connection and hope for women experiencing homelessness.

Trans Day of Visibility is an opportunity to celebrate the beautiful, vibrant and diverse trans community, standing with them in a time of heightened discrimination and oppression.

This year, we pledge to celebrate all forms of gender expression. Our community is a better place when everyone is free to express who they are, openly and without fear.

In the lead up to TDOV, Transgender Victoria asked 100 trans people to share their “Trans Visions”, as well as what they need from allies in 2026 and beyond.

One of the answers was “gender euphoria everywhere and always!”

A powerful vision that feels especially fitting today 🩵🩷🤍



If you haven’t already, head to https://www.tdov.org.au/ and sign a pledge.

What will it take to truly balance the scales of gender equality?

March 8 is international Women’s Day, and this year’s theme, Balance the Scales, reminds us that inequality isn’t an accident. It’s built into our systems.

All women deserve to be safe, heard and free from violence. Achieving this requires more than recognition or symbolic gestures – it demands systemic change.

We must dismantle the barriers that allow inequality to persist, including those that leave women from marginalised communities more vulnerable to violence.

To balance the scales, governments must listen to those with lived experience and invest in the solutions that provide all women with the safety, support and justice they deserve.