Empowering women in crisis. Rebuilding lives.
Empowering women in crisis. Rebuilding lives.
GET HELP
Resources for women who have experienced domestic abuse to help them feel safe, secure and supported.
DONATE NOW
We urgently need your help to open the doors to a new shelter supporting mothers with their children.
Join Us
Join our mailing list to receive updates from the shelter and how your support is having a huge impact.
About Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Women’s Shelter
Women and children who seek our care are at the heart of all we do.
The shelter was established in 2015 in response to an identified need in the Hornsby Ku-ring-gai area to provide a safe place for women experiencing domestic violence and homelessness. We are part of the Women’s Community Shelter’s network whose funding model involves a collaboration between business, philanthropic foundations, local communities and the NSW and Commonwealth Government.
Our home is a place where women in need can access safe accommodation without judgement or obligation. With community support, we empower women and children experiencing domestic abuse and homelessness through opportunities for personal growth, and the development of life skills, for a future that is self-reliant. We provide tailored, holistic care that can include health and wellbeing, employment, and legal support.
Services we offer:
Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Women’s Shelter provides so much more than just a bed for the night.
- Crisis accommodation for women experiencing domestic violence / homelessness for up to three months. We provide holistic, client centred, trauma informed, support services.Our specialised services our provided by a professional Shelter Manager and caseworkers. Their support includes personal case management as well as assistance with health, mental health, legal, education and employment opportunities and financial literacy.
- Transitional Housing for women aged over 55 at risk of homelessness for up to two years. We support women to access secure, affordable, permanent housing.
- Outreach support for women and mothers and their children cannot be physically housed at the Shelter, assisting them to access the same vital services that our clients receive in-house.
HKWS is community based and volunteer run.
Understanding Violence Against Women
Violence against women is gendered. It is an ongoing pattern of behaviour where power is used to control a partner, creating fear. Not just physical, violence against women can also include emotional, social, financial or coercive control.
The impact of your support in 2024:
women were assisted by HKWS to start a new life free from the danger of domestic abuse and homelessness.
short-term and emergency accommodation bed nights were provided by HKWS.
nights was the average stay for a woman at HKWS.
of women were exited into secure and long-term accommodation.
of women supported by HKWS identified as coming from a culturally and linguistically diverse background.
Where does your dollar go?
$10,000 provides everything one woman needs for a three month stay at HKWS
$300 provides two nights of secure accommodation for one woman at HKWS
$100 provides a woman caseworker support at court
$50 keeps our shelter pantry and fridge full of essential staples
Meet some of the women you have helped
Maria’s Story
My name is Maria* (not her real name). I’m a fifty one year old woman who came to Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Women’s Shelter in February 2024. The day I arrived I was a broken, humiliated and demoralised person. I had been through so much…
A Safer Path for Sara
Sara, 35 years, arrived at HKWS after ending her 14-year marriage. The trauma of a miscarriage caused by violence finally gave her the strength to leave. A prominent and successful local business owner, Sara met her Australian husband while he was…
A New Beginning For Kate
The death of her two sons led to the breakdown of Kate’s family. Her husband began abusing her and she turned to alcohol to mask the pain. On the verge of a breakdown, HKWS was there, to help Kate recover and turn her life around.
A Brighter Future For Yvonne
Yvonne* fled her violent husband and established a new life with her teenage children. Underweight, anxious and with no financial security, Yvonne struggled to make ends meet. On the brink of homelessness, Yvonne turned to HKWS for help.
Changing women's lives
Here are a few of the thank you notes we received.
Our Partners
We are so grateful for the community partners who support our shelter and make this important work possible.
