Local charity rebuilding lives

A Logan and Brisbane-based charity for female survivors of domestic violence is helping every woman through their doors to move on and never look back.

The primary focus of Open Haven is providing long-term support to help female survivors of domestic violence rebuild their lives.  

Upon referral, clients are given a personalised ‘restoration plan’ to navigate the next steps and eventually become self-sufficient. 

Case workers and volunteers are present throughout the entire healing journey, helping women find new homes, jobs, and connections. 

Open Haven director and founder Sabeel Burgess founded the charity in 2017 after identifying a gap in domestic violence recovery services. 

‘After helping out in a local playgroup and discovering a lot of women were experiencing domestic violence and abuse, I started doing research,’ she says. 

‘I found that we’ve got really great crisis intervention services in Australia, but we are seriously lacking in post-crisis. 

‘I’m not talking about supporting a woman for 3 months or 6 – I’m talking long-term recovery. What we’re finding is that women need 2 to 3 years of recovery before they feel fully established again. 

‘And when they’re in a shelter or transitional housing, they’re often very isolated, which is why women often return to abusive relationships.’ 

It takes 7 attempts on average for a person to leave an abusive relationship, according to the National Domestic Violence Hotline.  

Sabeel says it’s important for women to have a strong support network to reintegrate into the community.  

Outside of scheduled meetings with social workers, the Open Haven hub is open every Thursday for women to meet and connect with fellow survivors in a safe environment. Phone support is available throughout the week.  

‘That’s the difference between us and other providers – none of our women are going back to their relationships because they have that support every week,’ Sabeel says.  

‘Every week, they’re moving forward gently and persistently. A lot of agencies work with clients for up to 9 months and their case is closed, but we keep going.’ 

A young single mum who signed up for Open Haven’s Drive To Thrive program is a recent success story. 

Learning to drive is key to employability, greater independence and self-sufficiency.  

To remain anonymous, a woman identified as ‘Charlotte’ first visited Open Haven when she was living in a refuge, after escaping from an abusive ex-partner.  

With 2 children under the age of 3 and no family support, Charlotte was determined to learn how to drive and reclaim her life with the support of Open Haven.  

She attempted the driving test 3 times until she gained her license, then found work the next day. She also helped another woman at Open Haven to find work at her place of employment.  

Sabeel says Open Haven would be unable to continue its services without funding from the City of Logan Charitable Trust, which facilitates grants in partnership with local charities to benefit youth and families in Logan. 

‘We are so grateful for the charitable trust – because of them, we’ve been able to keep going with the incredible work we do in Logan and expand our services,’ Sabeel says. 

‘With the funding, we were even able to get a psychologist to work with children impacted by violence and the outcomes have been amazing. 

‘In such a short period of time, children were less anxious, self-harming less and saw improvements in their relationships with their mums.’  

However, there is still much work to be done in the post-crisis space for survivors of domestic and family abuse – and Sabeel is looking forward to seeing more women start new chapters.  

‘People think there are so many domestic violence services out there, but not many offer long-term recovery support like we do,’ Sabeel says. 

‘We’re not only transforming the lives of women, but we’re also breaking the generational cycle of abuse. . 

‘I see these women re-establish themselves in their communities and shine, going into incredible careers like engineering and nursing. It’s phenomenal.’  

Learn more about Open Haven and if you’re seeking funding for a charitable organisation, applications for this grant round close on 31 May – visit the City of Logan Charitable Trust website for more information.