Bethany Community Support opened its doors in May 1868 as the Geelong Female Refuge. It was established to provide refuge and rehabilitation to the poor women of Geelong.

As political, social and economics trends changed over the past 140 years so too did the needs of the community. Over the years Bethany has responded to those changes and has provided services that have included: babies home, adoption agency, mothercraft training centre kindergarten, and day care service.

Today Bethany is a dynamic and diverse human services organisation employing over 80 staff, with a $5.5 million budget and services over 250,000 people living in Geelong and the Barwon Region

Bethany is an independent voluntary organisation with no political or religious affiliations.

Bethany has a significant presence in the Geelong community and the wider welfare sector. It has a strong history of commitment and provision of high quality and innovative services.

Each year more than 6000 individuals and families experiencing difficulties in their lives access one or more of our services.

At Bethany the aim is always to build upon the strengths of individuals and communities in order to achieve both personal and social change.