For more than 40 years, Leony Bowey has shared her heart of gold with newcomers to Alice Springs from around the world.
As a long-time volunteer with the Migrant Resource Centre, now the Multicultural Community Services of Central Australia, Leony has provided practical assistance and social connection for people far from their homeland and family.
Leony grew up in the Philippines and came to Alice Springs with her husband in 1984. She saw a need to help other female migrants feel less isolated, especially those looking after children who were missing their extended families and the bustle of a big city.
She and others started a multicultural playgroup, then a women’s group, dance and craft groups before the incorporation of the existing Migrant Resource Centre in 1992.
Leony’s decades of care and support for Alice Springs’ vibrant community was recognised in 2023 when she was named Centralian Citizen of the Year.