Our Women’s Space: A Home Away from Home

Finding Safety Project Manager Sara Muzamil shares stories from JRS Australia’s one-of-a-kind Women’s Space, where her team works alongside women on temporary visas who are experiencing gender-based violence. 

The cosy cottage we call the Women’s Space was generously donated to us by the Parramatta Sisters of Mercy. This heritage home once resided by nuns who dedicated their lives to serving others, giving above and beyond to those in need. Today, it continues that legacy.  

The women we support have crossed oceans to be here, seeking safety, love, and acceptance. Many have endured abuse and discrimination, arriving in Australia with the hopes and dreams of a better life. Yet when relationships break down, they often find themselves isolated in a country where they don’t speak the language, have no family or friends, and no one to turn to. Their world shrinks to survival.  

That is where the Finding Safety Project steps in.

Our team welcomes these women and helps them navigate systems, rebuild trust, and find connection through casework, community activities, and events. We often share about the services we provide, but at Christmas time, we want to speak about what it means to have a dedicated space for women to come together – and to experience a true home away from home.

Inside the cottage, women find something special. It doesn’t feel like an office or a service. It feels like a home. The air is warm with the scent of a candle, and the sound of conversations and laughter from the kitchen reaches you before a word is spoken. Smiles come not out of obligation, but genuine care. 

The walls are decorated with art created by women who visited before. Soft couches invite anyone to sit, rest, and breathe. The kitchen carries the smell of shared meals. Children play safely in their own room while mothers find a rare moment to connect or simply relax and enjoy conversations with fellow visitors to the Women’s Space. 

Here, women meet others who carry stories like theirs: stories of hurt, courage, and resilience. Though they speak many different languages, they understand each other deeply. 

Silence turns into sharing, shame into solidarity. The walls of the Women’s Space hold the weight of their struggles but also echo with joy when women dance, learn, and rebuild themselves, piece by piece.  

The Women’s Space is more than a safe place from harm. It is belonging. For many women far from family and community, it is the only place where they feel safe enough to laugh freely, rest without fear, and dream again. Staff and volunteers don’t just offer support; they empower women with dignity, respect, and companionship.  

Alma’s Story

One woman in her late sixties, for example, Alma*, had been experiencing violence and had nowhere safe to go.

For months, Alma left her house early each morning, spending her days in parks or libraries before returning home at night. When a stranger referred her to JRS, she began coming to the Women’s Space. 

Every morning, Alma arrived before staff, and every evening she stayed until closing. She made her coffee, read books in the garden, practiced her yoga routine, cooked her meals, and shared conversations with staff, volunteers, and other women.  

Slowly, Alma began to heal. She found her voice again, joined workshops, learned new skills, and started to believe in a future shaped not by violence but by possibility. 

The impact of the Women’s Space is found in these quiet but powerful moments, the first smile after weeks of silence, the relief of being understood, the joy of cooking a favourite dish from home with new friends.  

A Home Away From Home

For many women who walk through our doors, “home” has not been a safe word. But here, they are not clients or cases. They are themselves: welcomed, valued, and becoming part of a community.  

The Women’s Space is a living testament to what becomes possible when women are met with compassion instead of judgement, understanding instead of dismissal, and connection instead of isolation. It represents belonging. It is where women breathe without fear, speak without shame, and are reminded that they are strong, worthy, and deserving of care.  

Through the Finding Safety Project, we witness women reclaim their voices, rebuild confidence, and begin to dream of futures once thought impossible. The Women’s Space has become a vital part of this journey, not just a safe space, but a true home of safety, dignity, and hope.  

I’ve seen women arrive carrying so much pain and uncertainty, and then, slowly, I see their faces light up again.

For me, that transformation – from fear to belonging – is what the Women’s Space is all about. It gives me hope every day. It’s not just a place I work; it’s a space that nourishes me too.

In carrying out this work, we honour the legacy of the Sisters of Mercy. We continue to serve, accompany, advocate for, and support those in need. Drawing from our Jesuit tradition, we practice cura personalis – that is, we care for the whole person.  

Through the Women’s Space, we ensure that every woman who walks through our doors finds not only safety, but also community, peace, and hope for a better future: a true home away from home.

Our Finding Safety Project serves, accompanies and advocates for women on temporary visas who are facing violence. We’re the only project of it’s kind in Western Sydney. If you would like to ensure this Program can continue to open its doors to women seeking safety – please consider making a gift to our Christmas Appeal.