One of the biggest challenges faced by the most vulnerable in our community is maintaining personal hygiene. For our sisters, in particular, even the basis task of taking a shower in a safe environment can be extremely daunting. Having no control over access to basic daily hygiene only compounds the feelings of worthlessness.

At ECM, we welcome over 100 visitors every day. With women ever increasingly being represented in greater numbers. Up until November 2021, there was only one shower pod available for visitor use, with wait times considerable.
But thanks to a successful grant from CCI Giving, we were thrilled to be able to install an additional shower pod solely for the purposes of our most vulnerable sisters.

Homeless women often face steeper challenges. Access to bathrooms and sanitary products are often limited on the streets so our aim is to help re-establish a hygiene routine to restore dignity and re-build a sense of self-worth and trust. This is crucial to serving our mission to provide a sanctuary where our sisters can rest, feel safe and have access to facilities in a judgement-free environment every day of the week.

For women this is extremely important. Already traumatised and suffering from depression – not being able to look after themselves during their menstrual cycle is extremely distressing, further exacerbating their mental health issues.

Life on the streets can mean that every day is a battle for females to access hygiene facilities. Sexual abuse and theft are common, so coming to ECM offers our sisters the chance to feel safe and have the privacy they need for self-care.

We are so grateful to CCI Giving for recognising the plight of our female visitors by providing the funds to purchase a much-needed dedicated women’s shower pod. Not only will this enable them to have access to a shower whenever they need - it also means the wait times for our brothers will be considerably shortened.

And, we’re also thrilled to mention, CCI’s thoughtfulness didn’t stop there. Their wonderful team also donated an incredible $7,300 to the work of ECM as part of their staff giving program. We were so touched by their kindness and compassion. God bless you for helping to restore dignity to those who need it the most.

Supporting our sisters