Empowering Women Together with Lovewell.

We want to share with you a business partnership that we’re proud of here at SMS Law: our support of the Lovewell Foundation. Each donation expands the foundation’s reach and impact, driving positive change in the community and empowering women together with Lovewell Foundation.

You can become a supporter who makes a significant difference and begin empowering women together with Lovewell Foundation too. We want to introduce you to Annie Stonehouse and Lovewell Foundation to give you an understanding of the vital work they do in our community and how you can support her and her team.

Standing Together

Annie Stonehouse is the Executive Director at the Lovewell Foundation and Lovewell Cafe. The Lovewell Foundation provides counselling, mediation, and women’s services to women from vulnerable backgrounds of mental health, domestic violence, addiction, human trafficking, long-term unemployment, disability, and childhood trauma. Lovewell assists these women with training, employment, and entrepreneurial development and support as part of the collaborative approach of the Lovewell Foundation.

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“At Lovewell Foundation, we work with women rebuilding their lives. We work with counsellors, social workers, local businesses, and our social enterprise café to train, reskill, and support women as they establish a new life.”

Annie Stonehouse – Executive Director of Lovewell Foundation

As a psychologist with 35 years of experience specialising in family and domestic violence and child abuse, Annie is passionate about working with various national and global organisations, serving on boards and volunteering. With her extensive experience in addressing family and domestic violence, Annie spearheads these efforts with unwavering dedication. The Better Futures Program exemplifies Lovewell’s commitment to nurturing personal growth and facilitating practical pathways to employment or entrepreneurship.

Empowering Women in Our Communities

Through a multifaceted approach involving counselling, skills training, community engagement, and mentorship, Lovewell empowers women to envision and pursue brighter futures. Moreover, by forging business partnerships, Lovewell expands its reach and impact, fostering mutually beneficial relationships that drive positive change in the community. 

“One of the ways our organisation supports women is by creating community and sharing our Better Futures Program. This program is a six-week intensive series of practical workshops to assist women from vulnerable backgrounds in focusing on and developing their goals and plans for tomorrow, the day after, and the day after. Our women are then assisted in training or employment (which may include starting their own small business) and receive support for the following three to six months from a trained mentor. Our service focuses on assisting women to grow through self-development and implement goals through their training or employment.”

“We have partnered with Dovetail Social Enterprises this year and are introducing new ways to help businesses make a more significant difference and create life-changing partnerships. We are looking for great businesses that want to grow their capacity. Sharing your mentoring and social enterprise support is good for our Lovewell community and your business, increasing customer loyalty, brand awareness, productivity and greater staff engagement.”

“We have expanded the availability of Lovewell Cafe as an event venue for this year. This location is perfect for business events, luncheons, parties, and special celebration days. We aim to make this space an even greater part of our community, sharing its beautiful views and unique location and increasing our opportunities to give back to the local business community.”

Volunteering at the Lovewell Foundation changes lives; a business can show its support in many ways. At SMS Law, we understand the power of the Lovewell Foundation’s work. We are proud partners supporting the foundation’s continued essential support through financial donations, event bookings, and catering service hire.

Annie says, “Ambassadors, Partners and Supporters of the foundation enable women’s safety, empowerment and independence. We would love to know what skills and hobbies you have, what superpowers you keep under wraps and what time you have available to assist us. We need admin, and IT help, drivers, support to attend appointments with our women, social and craft group facilitators, skills trainers, gardeners, the list is endless…”

How You Can Help Today

How can you and other SME business owners partner effectively with Lovewell and help share Annie’s vision? There are several ways to give financially, and all donations over $2 are tax-deductible. 

• You can donate directly online
• You can donate store gift cards or vouchers
• You can follow Lovewell on Facebook and Instagram, where they regularly post items in need, such as household white goods and furnishings, schoolbooks, non-perishable or frozen food items, and kitchen appliances.

Through these initiatives, Annie’s vision of safety, empowerment, and independence for women gains momentum. The Lovewell Foundation continues to grow as a beacon of hope for women seeking to rebuild their lives after adversity. Your support for the Lovewell Foundation can contribute to the journey of healing, resilience, and empowerment for women rebuilding their lives. 

As Annie aptly emphasises, it’s through “collective action and collaboration that the full spectrum of skills, resources, and superpowers can be harnessed to uplift and empower our community.”  Every individual and business can catalyse transformation within the Lovewell community through financial contributions, volunteering, or in-kind donations. 

SMS Law is proud to support Annie’s vision and partner with the Lovewell Foundation in empowering women. We encourage you to support, contribute, and donate to the foundation through the options above or visit our website to access the links on our Giving page. We thank you for being part of Annie’s vision of safety, empowerment, and independence for women.