For a woman experiencing homelessness, a safe room can provide immediate relief. The support around it can help her begin rebuilding her life.
Wellington Women’s House is a 16-bedroom transitional home for wāhine working towards stable, sustainable housing. Women live together in a safe, affordable and supportive environment, while a small team of kaimahi walks alongside each resident with social support, workshops and opportunities to build skills.
The need is changing. The House is seeing more women over 50 become homeless for the first time, often after a relationship breakdown or because their income can no longer keep pace with rent. Demand for mental health support is also growing.
“Housing alone isn’t enough,” says Coordinator Ebba Andersen. “Real change means wraparound support alongside it.”
That support can be practical and immediate. A $20 donation could top up a resident’s Snapper card so she can travel to work, appointments or visit whānau. $50 could help provide food, toiletries or personal care essentials. $75 could pay for workshop materials, while $100 could provide pots, linen or kitchen basics when a resident moves into her own home.
For Ari, who moved into her own home in 2025, the team’s help made an important transition possible. They arranged a van, helped her pack and collected a bed she had stored elsewhere. They then helped move her belongings and heavier furniture into her new home.
“As I am on my own here, I didn’t have anyone else to support me, and managing the move by myself would have been extremely difficult,” Ari says. “Their support made a huge difference during a very important transition in my life.”
The House is also investing in the people who will provide this kind of support in future. Student social workers, mental health workers and counsellors now complete placements in the whare. Students gain experience grounded in real lives, residents receive extra support, and the House helps shape practitioners who understand the work from the inside.
When someone chooses Wellington Women’s House through The Good Registry, the value goes beyond the donation itself.
“It is an acknowledgement that the women we support deserve dignity, stability and a genuine chance to rebuild,” Ebba says. “For our residents, knowing that people they’ve never met believe in their journey can be deeply affirming. It reminds them they are not facing this alone, and that their community is behind them.”
If you have a Good Gift Card to redeem, you can choose Wellington Women’s House as the charity you would like to support. You can also give a Good Gift Card and let someone you value choose the cause that matters most to them.
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