BERNADETTE ERIKSEN FOUNDER & CEO FLAVOUR CREATIONS Winning Telstra Women ’ s Business Awards puts the spotlight on you as a leader in the community , rather than just leading your own team at home , so I think it is really important to live what you say . I believe in helping and supporting people in times of need , to be compassionate and to never forget your humanity .

Our culture at Flavour Creations focuses on community and respect by restoring dignity and empowering people living with dysphagia – a difficulty in swallowing nutritious food or fluids . Vinnies CEO Sleep Out embodies our company culture and our behaviour and if the money and public awareness we raise by doing this helps the homeless that is a fantastic outcome .

As a society we have to provide an environment where they feel safe and not judged just because they have found themselves in this terrible situation .

This is particularly important for homeless women , many of whom have fled an emotionally or physically abusive situation . They need our support , not our censure and we need to let them know that we are here as a community to look after them .

Homelessness could happen to any of us . It can come about from divorce , loss of a job or sudden changed circumstances . I have had first hand experience with this . Over the last 21 years , three women in my team have had to leave their relationships suddenly for various reasons and I have assisted them by finding emergency shelter .

On a personal level , my husband left when I was pregnant with my second child . All my family was in Melbourne , I didn ' t have any support network and I had to work out quickly how I was going to keep a roof over our heads . We were all only a few steps away from homelessness and I never thought I would be in that position . I was fortunate that I was able to grow a great business and support my family but I certainly understand the fear of not knowing how to pay the rent next week .

Vinnies CEO Sleep Out also tells other women in the community , be they homeless or in a violent or abusive domestic situation they are thinking of leaving , that there are a lot of us out there willing to go the

16 Women ’ s Network Magazine