Sonya's care a haven for the desperate
Sonya's care a haven for the desperate
18 May 2018
Sonya Button told her story recently at The Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal Business Launch in Wollongong.
Sonya Button, manager of The Salvation Army’s Carinya Cottage and Women’s Services in Wollongong, says she’s been passionate about walking alongside families in need her whole life.
“This work was really part of my childhood, my mum was involved in setting up ‘Elsie’s’ [the first women’s refuge in Sydney] and when there wasn’t enough space, the children and the mothers used to come and stay at our place,” Sonya remembers. “I think from a young age we were shown how lucky we were.”
After working for many years with disadvantaged young people, Sonya joined the Salvos working in the area of homelessness and domestic violence. She now manages The Salvation Army’s domestic violence support services and accommodation in the Illawarra region, south of Sydney.
“The first thing that happens here when people come in is that they have a sense of relief that they are safe and they are housed,” she says. “We had one woman come in who had lived in her car with her teenage son for over two-and-a-half years. Two-and-a-half years!
“Just to know that she could go to the toilet easily and safely in the middle of the night, to stretch out her legs in her very own bed – these things were real luxuries for her. When you think about what she must have been through, it makes you realise that most Australians are very, very blessed.”
The Salvation Army provides holistic support for the families that come to Carinya. Support includes supplying school uniforms and stationery for children moving schools, organising for women to receive budgeting assistance through The Salvation Army’s Moneycare Financial Counselling Service, attending support groups at the Wollongong First Floor Program, and receiving help with the processes they need to put in place to move on with their lives.
“We match the needs of our people with the services that we offer,” says Sonya. “Every journey we take with each individual who walks through our doors is individually tailored to their needs. It’s a wrap-around service that works with them to move towards their goals and become the person they want to be.
Sonya says Red Shield Appeal funding is the lifeblood of Carinya. “Without the funding, without raising money for this service, there wouldn’t be a service. Carinya Cottage and Women and Children’s Services would not be around, because we are fully funded by The Salvation Army.”
Some of the specific needs at Carinya Cottage are for upgraded play areas for children, computers for older students to do their homework on and for 24/7 staffing.
Managing such a high-needs service is demanding, Sonya says, but she admits the rewards are lasting. “The joy that I feel when I have a child come in and have a smile or play, after they had arrived earlier and they were frightened and clinging on to mum’s leg or if there’s a loud noise they sort of shudder ... just having people come here and feeling safe is fantastic.”
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