We are adapting to ensure we can still provide essential services to the Canberra community during this time of crisis. This includes moving more services online and holding meetings via phone and video calls.
We continue to collaborate and innovate to respond to new and emerging needs as we work together with the rest of the community sector and government during this time.
All our housing and homelessness programs are fully operational. We have moved to telephone and video appointments where appropriate, but are still conducting face-to-face client appointments where necessary, particularly in relation to domestic and family violence safety assessments, child protection matters and signing leases.
We are actively looking for more affordable emergency and transitional accommodation, both for our clients and those of other services in the Canberra region.
Our charitable property management service is running and accepting new properties.
Our Next Door program helps women age 50 and over secure and maintain affordable, appropriate and safe homes.
We are working with women and women and children who have experienced domestic and family violence to get them alternative affordable accommodation, both in the short and long term.
Along with other organisations across the Canberra region, we are working to ensure adequate measures are put in place to support women and children during this time.
All our early childhood education and care and school age care services are operating.
We continue to operate our Lanyon Food Hub and emergency relief and will refer any clients not in the Tuggeranong area to the Canberra Relief Network.
Our education and training courses are continuing. We are accepting applications for our courses in early childhood education and care, school age education and care, and the She Leads Diploma of Leadership and Management.
Our Youth Programs, STEM Program for Young People and A-Z Gender Diverse Group are all continuing successfully in an online format. The A-Z will soon start face-to-face meetings again, with a virtual option still available to those who cannot attend in person. The YWCA Canberra Clubhouse has re-opened but with limiting timings and bookings are now required.
Our Warm Connections Counselling program is continuing through video and phone appointments and limited face-to-face sessions.
We are doing regular check-ins with all our clients including our older women Next Door clients, even those who now have stable housing, to ensure they have everything that they need while self-isolating and are providing activity packs to encourage physical and mental wellbeing and community connectedness.