The Vincentian spirit is alive and well, giving a gentle hand up to people in need right across our country, every day. Kathy Jones is a 47-year-old single mother of three girls, Shannon 15-years, Jaime 13-years and Zoe 11-years. They live together in Greensborough and enjoy simple family pleasures - tennis, nattering about Shannon’s first job, lively dinners, and compulsory daily cuddles. There’s a lot of love in their house, but two years ago their love was tested. Kathy was working four days a week and at the recommendation of a workplace public health campaign, undertook a routine medical procedure. It left her paralysed and unable to move. A one-in-a-million viral reaction that rendered her completely unable to care for herself and her children. “I thought I was dying, it was just slowly taking over my whole body. I couldn’t move, I couldn’t talk, I couldn’t swallow, I couldn’t close my eyes. It affected me head to toe in two weeks,” said Kathy. She was hospitalised for six months, before defiantly returning home to be with her three daughters. She had the promise of daily support from loved ones, so she could feed herself, do the washing, and take the kids to school; but her dignity and independence were gone. Kathy was also now living off Newstart payments alone. “Going from being an energetic single mum, working, and running kids around to sports, to being taken away from them for six months was a horrible, horrible thing to have to live through. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone,” said Kathy. Help started in the form of a home visit from the St Vincent de Paul Society last year. Members of the Greensborough Conference heard about Kathy’s hardship and launched into action. “Vinnies has really been wonderful. They came in when I was really hitting rock bottom. It’s been a struggle to get through week to week and to know that they’re there and offering assistance is just incredible,” said Kathy. Diamond Valley Regional President, John Ellis, recalled his first encounter with Kathy with a tear in his eye. “Listening to her story was quite emotional. I couldn’t believe that someone like Kathy had fallen through the cracks. When you hear the story you think how on earth did that happen?,” he said. Thankfully, the conference had the means to help, thanks to their efforts hosting a Vinnies Community Sleepout in 2016. “We took it one step at a time and decided that the first major thing we could do would be help with the rent. I just admire her so much and to a large degree, it’s why we’re involved,” said John. The emotional, psychological and financial repercussions of this tragic illness are still wearing Kathy’s family down, so the conference is now taking one step further to encourage Victorians to #WalkWithKathy and show their support too. “Whenever the day is that Kathy walks ten steps by herself, I want to be there at the end of those ten steps to give her a hug,” said John. On 20 March 2017, the Society will launch a #WalkWithKathy appeal to help Kathy get the medical help she needs to walk once again – it will also help others like Kathy, who are assisted on daily home visits. A PUBLICATION FOR SOCIETY MEMBERS, VOLUNTEERS AND STAFF Societynews WALK WITH KATHY Donate by visiting Vinnies.org.au/walkwithkathy or call 13 18 12
Transcript
The Vincentian spirit is alive and well, giving a gentle hand up to people in need right across our country, every day. Kathy Jones is a 47-year-old single mother of three girls, Shannon 15-years, Jaime 13-years and Zoe 11-years. They live together in Greensborough and enjoy simple family pleasures - tennis, nattering about Shannon’s first job, lively dinners, and compulsory daily cuddles. There’s a lot of love in their house, but two years ago their love was tested. Kathy was working four days a week and at the recommendation of a workplace public health campaign, undertook a routine medical procedure. It left her paralysed and unable to move. A one-in-a-million viral reaction that rendered her completely unable to care for herself and her children.“I thought I was dying, it was just slowly taking over my whole body. I couldn’t move, I couldn’t talk, I couldn’t swallow, I couldn’t close my eyes. It affected me head to toe in two weeks,” said Kathy.She was hospitalised for six months, before defiantly returning home to be with her three daughters. She had the promise of daily support from loved ones, so she could feed herself, do the washing, and take the kids to school; but her dignity and independence were gone. Kathy was also now living off Newstart payments alone.“Going from being an energetic single mum, working, and running kids around to sports, to being taken away from them for six months was a horrible, horrible thing to have to live through. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone,” said Kathy.Help started in the form of a home visit from the St Vincent de Paul Society last year. Members of the Greensborough Conference heard about Kathy’s hardship and launched into action. “Vinnies has really been wonderful. They came in when I was really hitting rock bottom. It’s been a struggle to get through week to week and to know that they’re there and offering assistance is just incredible,” said Kathy.Diamond Valley Regional President, John Ellis, recalled his first encounter with Kathy with a tear in his eye.“Listening to her story was quite emotional. I couldn’t believe that someone like Kathy had fallen through the cracks. When you hear
the story you think how on earth did that happen?,” he said.Thankfully, the conference had the means to help, thanks to their efforts hosting a Vinnies Community Sleepout in 2016.“We took it one step at a time and decided that the first major thing we could do would be help with the rent. I just admire her so much and to a large degree, it’s why we’re involved,” said John.The emotional, psychological and financial repercussions of this tragic illness are still wearing Kathy’s family down, so the conference is now taking one step further to encourage
Victorians to #WalkWithKathy and show their support too.“Whenever the day is that Kathy walks ten steps by herself, I want to be there at the end of those ten steps to give her a hug,” said John.On 20 March 2017, the Society will launch a #WalkWithKathy appeal to help Kathy get the medical help she needs to walk once again – it will also help others like Kathy, who are assisted on daily home visits.
A PUBLICATION FOR SOCIETY MEMBERS, VOLUNTEERS AND STAFF
Dear Friends,Welcome to 2017, another year in which we will continue to respond to those we serve. Homelessness, especially in the Melbourne CBD, has attracted considerable media attention in recent months. I would like to reassure you that the Society is continuing to work in the space of homelessness prevention and poverty alleviation, while VincentCare is providing frontline homelessness support services. We are also assisting with enquiries set up by the State Government and the City of Melbourne to advise on key policies and programs. State Council: The State Council has set itself a theme of Reinvigorating Conference and Special Works for 2017. Priority action areas align with the four objectives of our Strategic Plan 2015-2019. I will elaborate on these action areas in future issues of Societynews.Retirement of Carol Messer, Deputy State President: Carol Messer retired as Deputy State President on 31 January after three years.I wish to acknowledge the dedication and commitment that Carol brought to her role, particularly her advocacy for the work of members and volunteers in regional Victoria. Introducing new ways of connecting with people was, and is, one feature of Carol’s commitment to our Mission.Carol made many innovative, effective and insightful contributions to State Council and to a number of its Advisory Committees, especially to the Governance Committee which she chaired for over two years. I personally greatly valued the leadership and passion that Carol brought to all aspects of her work in the Society. State Council has expressed its sincere appreciation for Carol’s committed service. Carol will continue to be an active member of the Heathcote Conference. Appointment of new Deputy State President: Margaret Gearon has been appointed as the new Deputy State President. Margaret will continue to chair the Social Justice & Advocacy Committee. She will also join the Governance Committee as chair. Margaret will also continue to represent Victoria on the Social Justice Committee of National Council. 20th Annual Ozanam Lecture: The Society is eagerly anticipating the Ozanam Lecture presentation by Marcelle Mogg on The living presence of the love of God on Sunday 26 February 2017. Details of the lecture, and of the Response by Doug Knez, will be included in the next issue of Societynews. Emeritus Vincentians: Nearly 300 Vincentians who have given valuable service, but are no longer able to be active in conference work, have been recognised by State Council as Emeritus Vincentians. It has been pleasing to see and hear how well this initiative, suggested by a member, has been received by those recognised and their families. Nominations can be made at any time, by email to my EA at [email protected]
STATE PRES IDENTMichael Liddy
Two St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria volunteers were recognised on the Australia Day Honours list in 2017, which is a testament to their very significant personal contribution to supporting a fair, democratic and compassionate way of life in Australia. “I am so proud that volunteers from our organisation have been honoured on Australia Day and I say confidently, that there are thousands more in our ranks and other charities too, who deserve our recognition and gratitude,” said Sue Cattermole, St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria CEO.
2017 AUSTRALIA DAY HONOURS LIST • Medal (OAM) in the General Division, Ken Wilson:
For service to people who are homeless, and to the community. Mr Wilson has volunteered on the Fitzroy and Collingwood Vinnies Soup Vans for over 30-years and has made an outstanding contribution to recording its treasured history through written works.
• Medal (OAM) in the General Division, John Gerrard O'Loughlin: For service to the community through church and social welfare groups. Mr O’Loughlin has served as a member of the St Vincent de Paul Society Benalla Conference for over 40-years as President, Secretary, Treasurer and/or Committee Member.
LOCAL RECOGNITION Conference members in Rochester were also recognised for organising the Dairy Farmers Day Out on the 9 October 2016. They received two local awards:• Community Event Group of the Year: awarded to the
St Vincent de Paul Society conference• Certificate of Recognition: awarded to Rochester
Conference President, Gavin Houlihan.
HONOURING THE VINCENTIAN WAY
PRAYERS ARE REQUESTED FOR...Deceased members, volunteers, family and friends• Thomas Donohue OAM, Ex-member
Ballarat Conference• Jeff Fisher, Ex-member, Dandenong Conference• Len Fitzpatrick, Ex-member, Northcote Conference• Peter Hamblin, Ex-member, Box Hill Conference• Patrick Heagerty, husband of Vinka and Vice-
Conference & ex-volunteer (44 years), Vinnies Oakleigh• Nese Roberts, Ex-member, Diamond Creek &
Mooroolbark Conferences
Please forward any requests for prayers to Philip Mackey on 03 9895 5837 or email [email protected]
CHRISTMAS LUNCH AT GOVERNMENT HOUSE
Conferences across Victoria have reported growing levels of support being requested by families at this time of year, due to the pressure of back to school expenses. Through the Society’s social policy research, it has become clear that education is a key to breaking the poverty cycle and lessening dependence on government allowances. The Blackburn South Conference is taking heed of this research and investing in covering back to school expenses for local families. Their support means local kids can keep attending school and have the means to participate in school activities.This year, they are committing funds to school camps and excursions for Years 6, 7, 11 and 12; school fees; text books; computers; stationery; and uniforms for students starting primary and secondary school. Deputy State President and Blackburn South Conference President, Margaret Gearon, said conferences are still struggling to keep up with demand.“As both the Federal Government and State Governments are no longer providing sufficient educational subsidies, our conference is taking the initiative to identify families that need extra support for education expenses – we don’t want any child to miss out,” said Margaret.“There are great demands on parents, especially at this time of year. Christmas is always a financial drain, then it’s back to school time. Parents are making hard choices. For example, year seven camps are compulsory; so a parent may have to choose between paying the electricity bill or sending their child to camp. Out of necessity, they will choose to pay the bill and the child is kept home for a week while their peers find their feet in their new school environment.”In 2015-2016, across Victoria, the Society provided over $260,000 in educational support.
“We have been lucky this year, through Whitehorse Community Chest support, our conference has some funds available; but it definitely isn’t enough to help everyone,” said Margaret. “So far, our conference has been able to assist one family with one child going into Year 7 and another going into Year 10. Their mother told us that without the assistance provided, she would not have been able to send the girls to school. In fact, her eldest daughter missed quite a bit of school in 2016 due to the family’s insecure financial situation.“Luckily, now, with the correct text books and a new laptop provided by the conference grant, her daughter is more positive about attending school, is doing her homework and is encouraging her younger sister too,” said Margaret.
The Governor of Victoria, Her Excellency the Honourable Linda Dessau AM, and Mr Anthony Howard QC, hosted a luncheon on Thursday 15 December 2016 to acknowledge the work of volunteer organisations such the St Vincent de Paul Society. The Governor welcomed four of the Society’s volunteers Alan and Anne Badrock, Adrian Harris and Cor De Vries to have a 'Christmas Day lunch', with all the trimmings. Society volunteers pictured wth The Governor of Victoria,
Her Excellency the Honourable Linda Dessau AM
BACK TO SCHOOL | FAMILIES FEEL THE PINCH
THE FACTS...The State Schools Relief assists
with uniform costs, but parents have reported that they must choose between the summer uniform or winter uniform. No provision is made for a sports uniforms.
Uniforms must comply with school regulations and have the school logo visible, so purchasing from more economic avenues is not compliant.
Some schools request specific computers for the curriculum. Costs for these items alone can range from $700 to $2,000.
CALLS FOR HELP...The Welfare Assistance Line at Box Hill has received calls for Back to School Assistance from December 2016 – February 2017, including:
• School uniforms & shoes 58%
• Books & stationery 20%
• School expenses 14%
• Schools fees 4%
• Technology costs 4%
VINNIES CEO SLEEPOUT:FACE TO FACE WITH POVERTY
THE 2017 EVENT...WHEN: 6:00pm Thursday 22 June - 7:00am Friday 23 June 2017WHERE: University of Melbourne Parkville Campus, Southern
underground carpark.WHAT: Participants will participate in a peer-to-peer fundraising
campaign (aim: $5,000 each), which culminates in ‘sleeping rough’ for a night at the event.
THEME: Face to face with poverty SIGN-UP: www.ceosleepout.org.au
It’s that time again! The 2017 Vinnies CEO Sleepout campaign will be launching on Thursday 6 April 2017 and our conference members and volunteers are invited to help recruit senior business and community leaders to participate.The creative focus for the event this year is ‘Face to face with poverty’, which will explore the role of Vinnies volunteers in giving their time to rebuild lives in a practical and personal way – face to face. The University of Melbourne will be hosting the event in an iconic underground carpark on its Parkville campus. If you’ve seen Mad Max, you know the space, it’s an eerie concrete jungle!The Sleepout will bring together over 200 of the state’s most respected business and community leaders, from a variety of sectors, to sleep ‘rough’ for a night. Their aim, to raise $700,000 to support the Vinnies Soup Van service and other programs. Vinnies Soup Van volunteers not only support rough sleepers experiencing crisis, they help people living on or below the poverty line to make ends meet in boarding houses, flats and family homes across the state. It is a stalwart community service, which works silently and steadfastly to provide a space for social connection and essential food security.If you’d like to nominate in your boss to participate or another community leader in your area, visit www.ceosleepout.org.au
I've been volunteering on the Fitzroy Vinnies Soup Van as a night leader for the past two years. The reason why I volunteer is simple - it keeps me grounded. Volunteering helps put all the troubles in my life into perspective. Seeing the smiles on the faces of the people we serve brings me so much joy. The opportunity to hear someone's story and listen to some of their jokes is a real privilege; you learn so much about humanity.Not only are our Soup Vans a great way to talk people experiencing homelessness in Melbourne, it also delivers a great service. People are so grateful for the food we serve. They travel from far and wide; I even met one man who caught the train all the way from Geelong to come to our van.The beauty of being a regular volunteer on the Soup Van is being able to build relationships with some of our friends on the streets, and being able to hear their wisdom and philosophy on some of the toughest issues. Most of all, what you learn is that people experiencing homelessness deserve warmth and respect from the broader community. They are people who have fallen on hard times, like any of us could, and it is only right to support them in any way we can.
Shaun Bourke Monday Night Leader, Fitzroy Soup Van
The St Vincent de Paul Society is well known for its dedication to giving pre-loved goods new life. It has over 100 Vinnies Shops across the state that rely on donations of material goods from generous members of the community, to stock the shelves and generate much-needed revenue for conference work.Books are one of the most commonly donated items. They are read, loved and passed onto Vinnies Shops, where they bring much joy for people of all ages. However, sometimes books have had a hard life by the time they reach Vinnies. They have tattered spines or missing pages and in the spirit of selling quality donations to our customers, they often end up on rubbish-row. In fact, crates of them do.Mornington Regional Council President, Michael Quin, recently examined this issue and decided there was a much better way to honour books that were past their use-by date. In partnership with Mini Vinnies representatives at a local primary school, Michael and his fellow volunteers decided to expand an existing recycling program.“Every Tuesday and Thursday, Mini Vinnies have been spending their own time collecting paper, magazines and catalogues from the classrooms to recycle. One of our parishioners, a lovely fellow called Tony O’Sullivan, then takes them to the recycling depot. There, they bring in around $1,200 a month to support people in need,” said Michael.
After seeing a large bin full of books at the local Vinnies Shops recently, Michael decided they could take the program a step further.“I saw some books in a recycling bin, old books, and I thought, ‘why can't we have those too’? So our Vinnies Shops team arranged for several crates of old books to join the Mini Vinnies recycling run and we boosted our revenue to over $3,000 a month. The program is now growing to include other schools and Vinnies Shops in the area too, which is wonderful,” said Michael.The money raised has now helped to secure a home for a local mother and her 15-year-old son who were left homeless after a death in the family. “We had a call from one of our local members about a lady who was sleeping with her son in a car and desperately needed our help. She told us that her husband had died 12-months before and she’d been evicted from their property. Now, with no income and no references she couldn’t get a place to live,” said Michael.“So we offered a local agent a letter of support saying we would back her rent payments for a period of up to 12-months. Now, she’s in a unit and back on her feet.”This is a wonderful example of the many ways donations are honoured and given new life at Vinnies, all in the name of helping people in need.
GREEN BOOKS!
John Robinson served for over 50-years as a much-loved member of the Blackburn South Conference. When John passed away in January 2016, his family sought to continue his legacy by helping local families in need. In consultation with the local conference president, the Robinson family decided to collect monetary donations each Christmas and donate them to the Blackburn South Conference. This initiative has now grown to become the John Robinson Memorial Scholarship, in honour of their father, grandfather and great-grandfather. The first John Robinson Memorial Scholarship was awarded to a mother and daughter in January. They had recently escaped domestic violence and the daughter, entering her final year of studies in grade 12, was suffering post-traumatic stress. Amanda McMahon, John’s grand-daughter-in-law, spoke with the mother and daughter and expressed their utmost gratitude for being able to assist. The money will help to support the girl in her final year of school, including extra tutorials, excursions, and training of an assistance dog needed for her to move freely in the community. The family were extremely grateful for the extra financial assistance given in John’s memory; explaining how important education was to them and how it would enable them to move forward in their lives.
J O H N R O B I N S O N MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
IS BORN
Margaret Gearon with Amanda McMahon
ST VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY VICTORIA INC.Locked Bag 4800, Box Hill Vic 3128P 03 9895 5800 | F 03 9895 5850E [email protected] | W vinnies.org.au
WHAT'S NEW AT VINNIES...Vinnies Shops have introduced an exciting new method to receive customer donations and for all our supporters to give a gift with meaning - Vinnies Unwrapped Cards. There are four card options available to purchase online, each with a different denomination to support a different special work of the Society. By purchasing a card and gifting it to a loved one, you can help to support people in need. This initiative already raised over $1,400 in December! Purchase a card in-store and or online at https://www.vinnies.org.au/page/Shops/VIC/Vinnies-Unwrapped-Gifts/
V I N N I E S S H O P S
WE ENDEAVOUR TO INCLUDE AS MANY ARTICLES AS POSSIBLE IN EACH ISSUE OF SOCIETYNEWS.YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS ARE WELCOME, PLEASE FORWARD TO: [email protected]
CALENDAR DATES #WalkWithKathy Appeal Monday 20 March 2017
Vinnies Winter Appeal 1 May to 31 August 2017
2017 Vinnies CEO Sleepout Thursday 22 June 2017
A Call to Serve - 2017 Chapter Saturday 16 September 2017
Annual General Meeting Saturday 21 October 2017
Thanksgiving Mass Tuesday 14 November 2017
SocietynewsBILL SHORTEN VISITSVINNIES ASCOT VALE
Vinnies Ascot Vale received a special visit from Opposition Leader and Federal Member for Maribyrnong, the Hon Bill Shorten, on 23 December 2016. The visit celebrated charities who support people in need all year round. The Opposition Leader was invited to meet with Vinnies Shop volunteers to learn about how they give pre-loved goods a new lease on life and generate funds to support the Society’s conferences. St Vincent de Paul Society CEO, Sue Cattermole, said Minister Shorten was tasked with pricing, sorting donations, merchandising and, of course, serving our all-important customers in the lead up to Christmas.
“Minister Shorten was happy to roll up his sleeves and keep up with our volunteers, who are aged between 15 and 91 years of age, and have over 350 years of work experience at Vinnies between them. He received a first-hand taste of working in retail during the festive season rush too!” said Ms Cattermole.She went on to thank all our Vinnies volunteers, working extra hard in the lead up to Christmas. “I have great pleasure in asking our parliamentarians and wider community to join me in saying thank you to our Vinnies volunteers. Their generosity of spirit, all year round, is a quality that deserves to be celebrated in our community.”
Bill Shorten enjoying a laugh with Vinnies volunteer, Maria
In October 2016, the Endeavour Hills Soup Van volunteers banded together to raise funds through a sausage sizzle held after the Parish Mass. Not only did we sell sausages, onions and drinks, but also orchids and cupcakes that were donated by volunteers. Over $700 was raised, which will go towards funding the Soup Van. We also enhanced parish awareness of what the Soup Van does within the community to help people. All donations were greatly appreciated.The Endeavour Hills Soup Van also organises monthly bingo nights and parish dances to assist in raising funds. This enables us to continue our good work within the parish as well as bringing parish members together to enhance the community spirit within our Parish.
Giuliana Faiola | Volunteer Endeavour Hills Soup Van
