Emerge Stories

It has been a roller coaster year where we celebrated opening our long-awaited 24/7 refuge and had to grapple with the effects of COVID-19, which has altered how we have worked with the women and children we support, and how we work as staff and volunteers. While challenging, we have been greeted with enormous opportunities to become more flexible and reach more women and children than ever.

Paula Westhead, Executive Officer of Emerge, has been named as joint winner of the Kingston Woman of the Year Award for 2022. Her co-winner is Bronwyn Currie.

Youngsters being supported by Emerge are about to benefit from a Rotary Moorabbin sponsored animal therapy program.

The stars from RizeUp and Impact once again donated chocolates and Bags of Love to the families in our refuge and other accommodation. The smiles on the children’s faces had to be seen to be believed.

Emerge was established as the second domestic violence women’s refuge in Victoria in 1975.

Emerge is on the look-out for a volunteer community woman artist who can help create mural artwork at its 24/7 refuge.

A $3,000 grant from Streetsmart’s Dine Smart campaign will be spent on keeping women connected and getting much needed help at any time of crisis.

It has been hands on this year with award-winning Face Constructions renovating our crisis accommodation thanks to funding from through the Victoria’s government’s Housing Stimulus program in the new year.

It is hard to believe that we are almost three months into 2022, and International Women’s Day is upon us.

It is not every day that a handmade dolls’ house is offered to families who are struggling to afford Christmas presents.