Does my donation directly support the families?

We don't currently receive any government funding for Children's support programs, so we need your help...Your support and contributions will enable us to meet our goals and improve outcomes for children affected by domestic violence and homelessness in the Great Lakes. 

These funds go toward resources, providing a specialised children's case worker, school holiday programs and a range of support and development activities for children in shelter. 

$5 can cover a child's entry to the mini-trampolines or putt-putt golf

$10 can provide a child with a colouring book and pencils

$30 can provide healthy food for children's cooking lessons

$50 can help provide a child with a school uniform to attend a local school

$100 can provide art materials for therapeutic art sessions /lessons

$200 can provide musical instruments for therapeutic music sessions

$5000 can provide support by a children's case worker full time for 3 weeks   

The need for a bigger, suitably designed shelter was identified early on after opening our doors in 2016, to have stability and security and to continue to be able to support the families that come through the doors seeking refuge. 

Our new shelter is a specially designed 10 bedroom shelter for women and children in the Great Lakes who are escaping domestic and family violence and/or experiencing homelessness. 

We need your help to operate this at full capacity and help as many local families as possible.

We are forced to turn away hundreds of women and children every year in the Great Lakes area, families experiencing violence and homelessness as we just don't have the funds to operate a crisis outreach service. We provide outreach support 2 days per week, our goal is to be able to provide a full time Outreach worker.

This will cost $75,000 per  year and will provide all the resources and emergency relief required to support the families that we provide outreach to. 

$10 can provide a woman with an art project for 1 outreach group session

$30 can provide phone credit to help keep a woman and her children safe in their own home

$50 can provide a small amount of emergency food for a family

$100 can provide art materials for therapeutic art sessions /lessons for a group of women

$250 can provide a security system to keep a family safe in their own home

$5000 can provide support by a outreach worker full time for 3 weeks  

We provide a new pillow and doona to each person who enters shelter, families often arrive with no belongings at all.
The families then are able to take these items with them when they leave the shelter and move into their own homes.
You can help us by purchasing gift cards for Kmart, or donating towards the ongoing cost of these items.
$20 will get a doona and pillow for 1 woman

$50 will supply a family of 3-4 with their bedding items

You can donate any amount towards the general running costs of the shelter. 

Your contribution today helps us make a difference. 

Often having not been taught how to cook properly, or not having had a kitchen to cook in, women and children come to us with little funds and would love nothing more than a delicious wholesome meal to enjoy. $20 will provide a woman with a wholesome and nutritious meal, $150 will provide meals for a mum with 2 young children while staying in the shelter.  

WHAT IS WORKPLACE GIVING AND HOW DO I START DONATING?
Workplace giving (WPG also known as Payroll giving), enables employees of any workplace, to make a pre-tax donation to a registered charity of their choice direct from their salary. 

Employees make small, regular donations through their pay and receive an immediate tax refund. 

It’s simple, low cost and extremely effective when a workforce gives together. 

Employers can even amplify their work place giving program by matching employees’ donations – meaning charities have the opportunity to receive more!

For more information and an employee set-up form click on the links to the files below at the bottom of this page 

We are blessed to have 2 drop off locations for non-perishable food and toiletries.

Food/non-perishables collection points are located in Coles Forster and  Foodworks in Hallidays Point. (They look like cages)

Food /non-perishable collection points are a convenient way for the community to help provide the families with much needed basic food and toiletry staples during their stay at the shelter. 

For health and safety reasons we are unable to accept donations of used linen and bedding.

For donations of items such as BRAND NEW linen, doonas, pillows and clothing please email donations@glws.org.au or call  0400 919 184
**PLEASE NOTE- We are currently unable to accept furniture donations until further notice**
Limited space means we can only accept donations of clothes on a needs basis - keep an eye on our Facebook page for our call outs.
We have formed partnerships with Salvation Army and St Vincent De Paul in Forster where if we are unable to accept your kind donations, you can donate to either of these services on behalf of us, in return they allow our women and children to get the items they need, when they need them.  

A bequest, or legacy, can be the most important gift you ever give. 

By remembering Great Lakes Womens Shelter in your Will you are ensuring the future safety of vulnerable women, and their children, by helping provide additional and much needed crisis accommodation.
Leaving a legacy for vulnerable women is an amazing thing to do and we thank you for thinking of us.
We do advise that you seek qualified expert assistance from a lawyer when putting your Will together.
To be certain your bequest reaches the Great Lakes Womens Shelter, it is important to use our full legal name and include our Australian Charity Number as shown below:
Great Lakes Womens Shelter Incorporated ABN: 18949934199 

We are always looking for new volunteers to help with the many tasks involved in running the shelter, supporting the families and to help us make our vision of a safe and supportive women and children's shelter a reality.

Are you passionate about what we're doing?
Do you have a passion for helping people?
Do you have a skill you would love to share?

Maybe you are a maker, a doer, a cleaner, a networker, a writer, or just want to be part of the team,  no matter your skill set we need helpers in all different forms.

Apply for our volunteer program and see what we can do together.

We're excited to have you join the team! 

Do you have a passion for fun? 

Do you like to host events? 

Have you thought about hosting an event to raise funds for us? 

There are many fun ways in which you could raise funds for us in your local community.

Ideas include holding a dress up themed night, a girls night out or in, trivia nights, bingo, movie nights, school mufti days (always a hit with the kids)

The opportunities are endless, contact us to get promotional material to support your event donations@glws.org.au   

Your business or organisation could be a collection point for 10c cans for our 'Million Cans Campaign"

Contact John on 0448 111 468 or accounts@glws.org.au  if you are interested in your organisation being a collection point for refundable cans. 

This campaign is proudly supported by Rotary Club Great Lakes and Forster-Tuncurry Lions Club

Current supporters include:

Club Forster

Big 4 Happy Hallidays

Seashells Resort Diamond Beach

Lakeside Forster Caravan Park

Dolphins Childcare Centre Tuncurry (open to public can donations)

Donate your cans:

Dolphins Childcare Centre Tuncurry (open to public can donations)

Return and Earn - Tuncurry Tip (Let the cashier know that you are donating to Great Lakes Womens Shelter prior to loading your cans)

Reverse vending machines in NSW (via myTomra app) https://www.mytomra.com.au/home/the-mytomra-app/