Christmas appeal for Northern Beaches homeless women

Manly Women’s Shelter is appealing to the community to help increase the number of beds available to homeless women on the Northern Beaches.

“We currently provide 3,284 bed nights per year for women on the Northern Beaches who are homeless,” Manly Women’s Shelter President Julia Lever said.

“We have the opportunity to increase this to 5,475 beds but we need help from the community to achieve this.

“MYER Community Fund have generously donated $25,000 towards the project and we are calling on the community to help us match this donation.”

The shelter currently houses 13 women at a time, but this could increase to 15 per night following renovations.

Manly Women’s Shelter will work with local architect and sponsor MMJ Architects and local builders and tradespeople to complete the project.

Manly Women’s Shelter is a non-profit organisation funded through corporate sponsorship, private foundations, Council grants and ongoing contributions from generous individuals.

More than 300 women on the Northern Beaches have sought refuge and support and benefited from the shelter’s services.

In 2016, the Shelter supported 77 women, with a total of 3,284 bed nights.

There are a number of reasons why women seek shelter, including domestic violence, mental health reasons, financial hardship and drug and alcohol abuse.  

Trained and experienced welfare workers continue to provide a safe place for women seeking shelter and on-site support 24-hours a day, 7 days a week.