Program Manager at The Salvation Army ‘s Trafficking and Slavery Safe House, Melina is passionate about holistic service delivery, social justice and challenging systems of racial injustice.
After studying social work in France and working in Child Protection, Melina migrated to Gadigal Land where she worked as a caseworker. She aims to promote best practice, build capacity in communities through collaborative actions and challenge systemic barriers faced by people whose basic needs are often not met.
Melina’s experience includes supporting adults and children made vulnerable through forced migration (refugees, people seeking asylum), working with families involved with the Child Protection system and providing support to people impacted by modern slavery.

Amanda (Mandy) Greaney is the CEO of Lou’s Place, a low-barrier, trauma-informed drop-in centre for women in Redfern. She has spent more than 30 years working across homelessness, domestic and family violence, disability, youth homelessness and community services, always with a focus on supporting people who are most vulnerable, overlooked or pushed to the edges of our systems.

Amanda’s practice foundation is grounded in meeting people where they are, listening deeply and creating spaces where individuals feel safe, seen and believed. Her work has spanned metropolitan and remote settings, including time in Wilcannia, which strengthened her understanding of the barriers faced by rural and Aboriginal-majority communities and the importance of culturally safe, relational and consistent support.

Across her career, Amanda has led complex programs, supported frontline teams and navigated the pressures faced by small organisations working in high-need environments. She brings together practical experience, a strong systemic lens and a commitment to removing the rigid service barriers that prevent people from accessing help when they need it most.

Amanda is dedicated to building flexible, dignified and inclusive service models that reflect the lived realities of the people they are designed to support. She is known for her values-driven leadership, her advocacy for trauma-informed and culturally respectful practice, and her unwavering belief that every person deserves to be heard, supported and treated with dignity — no matter their circumstances.

Genavieve Sakr has over seven years of hands-on experience in the community services sector, working across therapeutic case management, group facilitation, and allied health care coordination. She specialises in supporting women with multiple and complex needs, drawing on a trauma-informed, person-centred, and strengths-based approach. Genavieve’s practice is grounded in authenticity and non-judgement, fostering safety, trust, and empowerment for the women she supports.

Manda has worked with children and families experiencing complex disadvantage for over 20 years. She is qualified as a Psychotherapist and Counsellor and has worked in both private practice as a Creative Arts Therapist and in Non Government organisations. She is currently leading a pilot funded by Department Social Services to provide a healing and recovery service for children and their families who have had an experience of Family and Domestic Violence. Many of these families come from refuge and transitional housing services. This project seeks to support holistic healing and recovery and improve the social, emotional and educational outcomes for these children through supporting family functioning and addressing the many issues that keep families in disadvantage following experiences of family violence.