I have been volunteering at Follow Bless Collective since 2020 and stepped into the role of Community Care Manager in 2023. Everyone needs a little help sometimes, and Follow Bless Collective provides food relief, material aid and social connection to those who are homeless, disadvantaged or socially isolated. Our 103 volunteers are the backbone of our organisation and the heart of everything we do. They show our community hope in the midst of despair, offering compassion, dignity, and practical support to those who need it most.
One Friday afternoon, just as I was leaving the office, I opened the door to find a woman in tears. She had fled a violent household the day before with her children, leaving with nothing but the clothes on her back. She had never asked for help before and didn’t know where to begin. She had no money, no job, no food, and no change of clothes. After visiting Centrelink and calling Safe Steps, she came to us looking for support. We were able to provide food, clothing and vouchers to help her take her first steps toward a new life. When she left, she carried two striped bags filled with clothes for her family and food to get them through the next week.
But the need goes far beyond material aid. Many women come to us overwhelmed, isolated and unsure of how to navigate their circumstances. We meet them where they are and walk alongside them as they rebuild, celebrating their wins and sharing their challenges. One woman came to us with a lead on a rental property an hour away. She had no transport and no support, so we stopped what we were doing and drove her to the inspection. Sometimes justice looks like simply showing up when someone has no one else.
The feedback we hear again and again is that connection matters more than anything we give out. After providing new clothes to one of our community members she burst into tears telling us that she didn’t feel as though she deserved new items. The items she was given previously had broken buttons and were stained which made her feel as though this is all she was worth. Women tell us that the services we offer are more than just material aid, but the most important thing is that they are being seen, heard, and supported which makes then feel connected. That human connection — the sense that they are not alone — is often the first step in balancing the scales for women who need a little help.
Since stepping into the role of Community Care Manager, I have worked to balance the scales by ensuring women have access to support at any hour of the day. In 2025, we launched our 24/7 Crisis Backpacks—readily accessible bags filled with food, clothing, hygiene items, and essential information for women escaping domestic violence. When a woman makes the courageous decision to leave an unsafe situation, she often leaves with nothing but the clothes she is wearing. These backpacks provide enough to get her through the night until services reopen the next morning, along with crisis numbers she can call for immediate help. In 2025 over 360 backpacks were collected.
This year, this work expanded with the opening of our clothing pantry at the Follow Bless Collective office. Here, women can choose clothing with dignity and without judgement. What began as emergency support has grown into a space where women can reclaim confidence, agency, and a sense of worth. Single mothers often put their children’s needs above their own. Mothers struggling to make ends meet with the cost of living crisis, or uncertain visa futures access our services looking for hope. Our clothing pantry helps to balance the scales by restoring dignity through choice. Women can select clothing that fits their style, their bodies, and their lives—without judgement or concerns about cost. Both initiatives are practical ways we are working to balance the scales for women who face significant barriers to safety, stability, and belonging.
My hope and dream for Follow Bless Collective is that every woman who comes to us—whether in crisis or simply in need of connection—finds a place where the scales are finally balanced in her favour. Our vision for the future is an expanded service, greater access to food support at any time of the day and an accessible shop and drop-in centre. We want to create a community where practical help, emotional support and genuine human connection are always within reach.
– Sharyn