Over the past year, we’ve been proud to expand the reach and impact of Juno’s EMPower Program. In partnership with Bridge Darebin, Good Samaritan Inn and the Jobs and Skills Centre at Melbourne Polytechnic, we delivered a series of activities designed to strengthen social connection, enhance wellbeing, and create pathways to financial security and employment readiness for women and gender diverse people who have experienced homelessness and family violence.
The project engaged 22 local participants through a mix of workshops, information sessions, coaching and short-term programs. Activities included Budget Basics (a financial literacy coaching program), Step Up to Work (an employment coaching program), a self-care art therapy workshop, and an Education and Employment Pathways information session.
In addition to one-on-one EMPower coaching—which provides tailored, goal-focused support across areas like housing, income, employment and wellbeing—these group sessions offered participants a chance to connect, reflect and grow in a supportive environment.
As one participant shared, “It did help me see myself more clearly… I felt not alone.” Another noted it increased their confidence: “It made me feel good and more competent because I accomplished it.”
At the heart of the project was a commitment to creating opportunities for women and gender diverse people with experiences of family violence and homelessness to connect with each other in empowering and supportive environments, where they could explore shared goals and learn new things. All activities were shaped by participant voices and focused on providing a supportive space where participants could build knowledge, confidence, and a renewed sense of purpose.
A highlight was our self-care workshop — facilitated by Tiff Sassafras, an amazing artist, arts educator, and sound healer who is also a former Juno client with lived experience of family violence and homelessness. Tiff created a powerful, peer-led space focused on connecting and healing through trauma-informed creative arts. As Tiff shared:
“I have been a client and worked alongside Juno over the past 3 years. I am now living in a beautiful home, thanks to Juno, after many years of homelessness due to family violence. I am so grateful and feel so supported. I also had the opportunity to work with my peers, running a self-care workshop. This was a healing and empowering space for myself, my peers, and Juno facilitators.”
EMPower recognises the interconnection between financial stability, employment, housing, and wellbeing. By meeting people where they are and acknowledging the complexities of their experiences, the program supports progress in multiple areas—boosting confidence, self-worth and emotional wellbeing, alongside practical outcomes.
By acknowledging and accommodating the specific needs of women and gender diverse people, including caring responsibilities, safety concerns, and the long-term impacts of violence, EMPower creates real, tangible pathways to recovery, economic opportunity and greater overall wellbeing.
Proudly supported by the City of Darebin’s Community Grants Program.
Read more about the EMPower Program here.
