26 August 2026. Older Women are now the fastest-growing group experiencing homelessness and can often find themselves in these circumstances very quickly and unexpectedly.
“We want to empower the women to live independently and also we want to listen to them as to what they need and when they’re ready.”
In a recent episode of Community Matters, host Nicky Sloan speaks with Sabrina Hissey, Acting Operations Manager of ROCC for Women, a Specialist Homelessness Service supporting women experiencing or at risk of homelessness in the Shoalhaven, NSW.
Sabrina outlines the overlapping challenges many of these women face — contact with the justice system, mental health struggles, isolation, drug and alcohol issues, and family and domestic violence — and describes ROCC's approach: working alongside women to set their own goals, and building trust through consistency over time rather than a one-size-fits-all model.
In this interview, Sabrina outlines their new peer-support workshop program that brings women together in a safe, supportive place where they can learn new skills, and importantly connect to other women and their local community — a program that Coolaroo Foundation is proud to support.
Listen to the full episode: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | CommunityMatters
Since 2025, Coolaroo Foundation has partnered with ROCC for Women to deliver trauma-informed education and wellbeing workshops for women in the Shoalhaven region who are homeless, at risk of homelessness, or navigating complex disadvantage.