THE BROTHERHOOD OF ST LAURENCE:helping the poor

to heip them selvesEven the poor have their pride, which is why the

Brotherhood beiieves in giving heip — not charity.By HEATHER KENNEDY

[^ F T Y YEARS AGO, Anglican r * clergymen were expected to be

in the contemporary image of God the Father — imposing, pontifica! and p a tr ia rc h a l Father Gerard Kennedy Tucker faiied on a!! counts.

He was, according to his biographer John Handfieid, "a nervous iittie man with a disabiing stammer".

Yet Gerard Tucker was a practica! mystic who took on everything and everybody — and won. He beat his persona! problems — his nerves, his lack of "presence", his inability to talk sm ooth ly — and he b ea t the Melbourne Establishment, bishops who refused him support, a church that viewed his activities with a suspicion occasionally amounting to hostility, landlords, authority.

And he overcame a total lack of resources to found a social welfare organisation which has inspired and provided practical help for thousands.

Gerard Tucker was the implacably determined, inspired, obstinate man who founded the Brotherhood of St Laurence; and his successors have been fighting on in similar stubborn fashion ever since.

John Handfieid says: "For him the church was nothing if it did not involve itself in temporal works of mercy, if it would not preach a crusade for the people of the streets and lanes'."

F a th e r T u ck er, who died in 1970, believed in a "church of social action" and welcomed into the ranks of the Brotherhood anyone who wanted to help; Jew s, pacifists, Catholics, agnostics, even atheists.Margot 0 Reilly of Melbourne donates clothes to the Brotherhood. Bins are convenient and cut collection costs.

A'X* ? / f

Nor have Father Tucker's successors aiiowed even governments to remain aioof. The gentiy innocent appearance of the priest's nephew, David Scott, who joined in 1953 tc heip his uncie with his sium aboiition campaign and has worn severa! Brotherhood hats since, has disarmed many a State and Federa! poiitician — unti! Scott has iaid on them appaiiing facts and figures on poverty and unempioyment to make even poiitica! hair cur!.

!t curts more when Scott points out, as he does, gent!y, that the wider community is waking up to the amount of poverty and unempioyment — andWOMAN'S DAY/WOMAN'S WORLD. June 10. 1981

that uniess jobs are created votes wiii be tost. He betieves that the wider community has been seifish. "They say 'We can't pay any more taxes' and the Government ptays on this."

But, he says, an increase of ait pensions and benefits to the poverty iine wouid cost the Government oniy $650 miiiion— one fifth of the revenue it earns from the oii ievy. A smai! increase in taxation couid aiieviate a !arge amount of desperation for this country's two miiiion poor, so couid a job creation program. There is, Mr Scott says, pienty to be done . . .

The Brotherhood is a weifare

G era rd T u c k e r , fo u n d e r of th e Brotherhood. Above: Gien Aiderson, co­ordinator of the Materia! Aid section.agency in the rea! sense . The executive director, the Reverend Canon Peter Hoiiingworth, and the 232 tuii-time staff, the 271 part-time and casua! staff, and the 1500yo!unteers, operate on the principie that simpiy to "give charity" is to degrade and patronise.

As it enters its 51st year, the Brotherhood foiiows Father Tucker's ciear vision — "a vision," says Peter Hoiiingworth, "of what a good and just society shouid be."

And this inciudes fighting the poiiticians just as much as providing the basics for a number of seif-heip projects for Brotherhood ciients.

The Brotherhood of St Laurence has its headquarters in the Meibourne inner suburb of Fitzroy. it attempts to heip peopie of aii ages.

Chiidren from 27 nationaiities attend the two Day Care centres in this iow-income, high-rise suburb; poor peopie run a project caiied the Action Resource Centre for iow income famiiies — in which the poor heip each other with iegai aid, housing and genera! weifare.

This is the first project in Austraiia where peopie heip each other handie money, make pians, and achieve independence of spirit and seif.

"if you're poor, peopie are aiways teiiing you where to go and what to do," Brotherhood worker Dyranda Prevost says "You're toid where to iive and where to shop. Very often you're patronised and pushed around. You don't know that you have rights. One of those rights is the freedom to manage your own iife."The project inciudes youth and camping programs organised by

Conf/nuecf over/eaf 111

%sta SituationPaul put a roast in the ove.A treat for his wife's birthday

8.15Paul serves "%u didn't have to go to all that trouble!' says his wife."You're worth it',' says Paul.

THE BROTHERHOOD OF ST LAURENCEfrom prewous page

young peopte, a savings and ioans scheme, and a credit union.

The B ro th e rh o o d p ro v id e accommodation — fiats, cottages a hosteis — for 600 eideriy peopte.

Money comes from the pub! smaii government grants, and goods. The Brotherhood runs 33 in Meibourne. Ceeiong, and P en in su ia , which set! c io t jeweiiery, books, shoes, and ge (donated) knick-knacks, and a staffed by votunteers. Auxiiiaries hei

Meibournians put ciothes and househoid goods into neariy "Brotherhood bins" at service and shopping centres throughout city and suburbs, instated three ago. the bins proved an inspiration at! round: donations have increased d ram a tica iiy b e c a u se bins are convenient, and the Brotherhood's coiiection costs have been reduced from $150 a tonne to $50 a tonne.

Bin goods are the backbone of the Brotherhood's work. A!! the quaiity items go to the Materia! Aid section of the organisation, run by co-ordinator Gien Aiderson.

When ! spoke to the Brotherhood, changes were being pianned for the Materia! Aid section. More space was to be aNocated. a broader range offered, and a tending service for things such as prams or cots provided. Sa!es of new items, bu!k bought by the Brotherhood are to be increased.

The need is d e s p e ra te , and increasing, tn the past three

112 WOMAN'S DAY/WOMAN'S WORLD. June 10, 1981

Gten Atderson and her votunteers have hetped 10,000 families a year with ciothes atone."Peopte fee! very bad about coming and asking for hetp." she says. "They don't come here easity. They suffer a great toss of pride.

"Atthough peopte feet they're here because of an inadequate income, it's not onty that. They com e here because of a combination of poverty, baid housing, ittness. unemployment." says Gten.

"Things have got much worse for tow income peopte in the tast 10 y e a r s , " Da v i d S c o t t s a y s . "Unemployment has added hatf a mit(ion to the number of peopte who are) poor, from time to time anyway. Sor^e two mittion peopte tive on or just above the poverty tine."

David talked about the sham e peopte feet when they can't find work; of migrant families who keep grown chitdren indoors unti! 3.30pm so neighbours witt think they're stit! going to schoot; of older job seekers who get so many knock-backs they tose confidence; of the "hidden poor" — the peopte too ashamed to register for the dote because they don't want to be catted btudgers.

Given the size of the mountain, ! asked executive director Hotting- worth whether the Brotherhood's foot­steps ever fatter? Does the fight ever took too hard to win?

He smtted. "That's a question you don't ask.

"tf you're in the business of hetping others you must keep a sense of hope." ayJack 8. Dance has retired, but continues work at the Brotherhood as a volunteer.

Vi.-

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BROTHERHOOD OF ST LAURENCE67 BRUNSWICK STREET. FITZROY, VtCTORtA 3065 TELEPHONE 414151

7th September, 1972.

Mrs. H. Coutts,95 Uoseberv Street, CHELMER, Ql 4068.

ruar Honor,. It was good to hear from you again but I am

afraid there is little I can do to find the information that- would help Christopher. As far as I know there have been no studies of social welfare change in Australia. A wide range of organisations, including the Brotherhood, have worked away at changing community attitudes or Government policies on specific questions, but regrettably no-one seems to have studied these approaches.

The person who could be most helpful is John Tomlinson, a Social Worker with the Commonwealth Department of Social Services in Brisbane, who was in Melbourne recently attending a conference on social change, organised by some of the younger, more radical social workers. I am sure Christopher would know of him, and John would be able to suggest reference material. The Journal of Social Issues which is published by the Australian Council of Social Service, may have some articles of interest and would be obtainable from the University Library.

The only Course for professional social work training is at the Melbourne University; a very high standard of matriculation is required because there are now large numbers of students wishing* .to, take<: the course but the intake has to be limited to about 90 each year.Next year a Course will commence at the Preston Institute of Technology. I should imagine that matric. would be an entry requirement but the level of natric. may not be so high. If you wanted to know more about the Course you could write to Miss Frances Donovan, Preston Institute of Technology, Plenty Road, Bundoora, 3083^

Our own Brotherhood social work services are n the process of being reorganised so that we can work aore effectively with total families. We have only been able to take one student on placement this year but hope to be able to take three or four next year.

Father Tucker, who is now 87, is very frail physically but still very alert and interested in the Brotherhood's activities. He visited us in Fitzroy a fe': weeks ago. This is the first time since he had a heart attack two years ago. He lives in a flat at St Laurence Park, Lara, and takes an active interest in the life around him and is still chairman of the Geelong Committee that runs the housing settlement at Lara.

Jessica Sumner retired last week after 26 years. Shirley Abraham is back with us. Win Rogers formally retired a few months ago and is on a visit to her sister in England.

We Lave just started a rebuilding programme in Brunswick Street. This will extend and improve the Coolibah Centre facilities, give us more office space for research and tend to relieve the present overcrowding.

I am sorry I couldn't be more helpful to Christopher but if you think there are any other ways we could assist, please let me know.

With kind regards,Yours sincerely,

/

BROTHERHOOD OF ST LAURENCE

67 BRUNSWICK STREET, FITZROY, VICTORIA 3065 TELEPHONE 41 4151(16th October, 1974.

Mr. Chris Vickers-Coutts, 95 Rosebery Street, CHELMER. OLD. 4068.

Dear Chris,Thank you for your le t te r requesting further information about the Project. Unfortunately I have been very delayed in writing the fourth Project Report, and i t is just under way now. I w ill keep your request handy, and when the Report i s ready I w ill send i t to you.I have sent under separate cover a copy of the Brotherhood submission to the Poverty Enquiry.I do not seem to have heard from the University about the precise dates of your placements next year. It would a s is t me in my planning i f you could le t me know these dates as soon as possib le.

$ Yours sincerely,

Concetta Benn.Co-Ordinator - Family Centre Project.

/

BROTHERHOOD OF ST LAURENCE

67 BRUNSWtCK STREET, FtTZROY, V!CTOR)A 3065 TELEPHONE 41 4151

A * ;n

7th May, 1974.

t jMrs Honor Coutts, 1/27 Fernberg Road, MILTON, Q'LAND.

4064

Dear Honor,It was good to hear from you again and to know that Chris, is doing so well in his studies.Our main social work venture is the Family Centre which is an experiment in working with financiallypoor and socially disadvantaged families.in.a newand rather radical way.

who said that she would be pleased to have Chris, as a student next year. I think she was partly influenced by the fact that at the moment they have a Queensland student, Ann Cross, on suplace- ment and have been most impressed with her.Connie said that it will be necessary for the Bris­bane University to contact the Melbourne University regarding a placement in Melbourne. It is most unlikely that Melbourne University would say no, but if this happened, please let me know.I am sending copies of the first 3 Progress Reports, of the Family Centre which may be of interest to <Chris, and to you.I was very sorry to hear that you had such a distres sing time as a result of the floods. The long-term effects received very little press in the south,^ but we have kept in touch with the needs as Bruce Buchanan the Associate Director of Finance and Administrationof the Brotherhood, is at present on secondment of 12- _weeks to the Queensland Flood Relief Committee.A////X/^^r^y

/ ' / v r / -^ -- Q ^

Mrs Honor Coutts - 2 - 7th May, 1974.

Last week, we had the Annual Staff Conference at St Laurence Park, Lara, and we were all delighted that Father Tucker was able to attend briefly and say a few words to us. He is 89, very frail but still alert and interested in all that goes on in the Brotherhood and the community.

Kind regards and best wishes,

Yours sincerely,

1/"^- 4th September,.1972.

Mr. David Scott, Brotherhood of S.Laurence, Brunswick St.,

Dear David,A voice from the past, with a request. I do hope i t , w ill not be too much to ask, but my son, Christopher (aged 281) i s doing Social Work at the Queensland University, and he has an assignment for which he requires some information, and I was wondering i f the Brotherhood could supply him with the relevant data.The following i s the subject matter: /( i ) Radical agitation within the original structure of social work in Australia - the most up-to-da'e information.

( i i ) Aboriginal Welfare - education- housing- soc ia l welfare- soc ia l problems - assim ilation- work- drink

and Relevant ACTION magazines, appreciated as well.( i i i ) Results of recent surveys on the radical ag itation .

He i s writing to various other State organizations, and the information would be much appreciated within the next 2-3 weeks, i f th is i s possiajI am s t i l l most interested in a l l the Brotherhood work and love getting the magazine, and as you can imagine very th rilled that Chris, isin terested in making socia l work h is career. I think h e ' l l make a good socia l worker too (of course) - unfortunately there i s a #1 very s t i f f quota system in the Queensland course, and we are hoping he w ill manage to make the number. Is the situation lik e th is in Melbot - he may have to make enquiries at other un iversities M he doesn't make i t . How many students do the Brotherhood train each year? In Brisbane there are so few soc ia l agencies, they have no placements for students, and th is causes the restricted numbers.How i s Father Tucker? I have communicated with him over thej years and do hope that he i s s t i l l very much with the world - I have haJ a personal lo ss th is year, my husband died in January, so that now I h?/ three children to bring up by myself, a l l the resp on sib ilities making themselves f e l t . I am extremely lucky as the children are a l l y, such individuals, and so d ifferen t, that l i f e i s very busy and very full We have just had a 'sophisticated' aboriginal boy stay with us for a we! he i s one of 60 aboriginal students s it t in g for Matriculation in th is year - there were only 20 la s t year, so th is i s an improvement, delight to look after,asd we have a l l become frier* *

8ith kindestYours

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FromBROTHERHOOD OF ST, LAURENCE

The Rev. G. KENNEDY TUCKER 82)405 *

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Chris heipingCOMMUN!T!ES he!p

them*e!ves. Count!!* ore a resource !n the process.

That is the philosophy of Chris Coutts (pronounced Cootes), who has just taken control of the Community Development Division of the Department of Library and Community Services at Ku- ring-gai Council.

Chris replaces Julie Alston who left the council last Janu­ary as Community Worker.

Chris, with the ability to look on life's brighter side, seriously believes in commu­nity spirit.

"A community has the answers to many of its prob lems - all it takes is someone to get people together and point them in different direc­tions," he said.

Chris believes the easiest way to tackle community problems is to talk them through.

He intends to get people to­gether, talk about the issues which exist in Ku-ring-gai and lend his ear to problems and their thoughts on the com­munity.

Team work is important to Chris who has already estab­lished a close-knit r e la ­tionship with his staff.

Ismay Gibson, the welfare worker with the aged in Ku- ring-gai, co-ordinated such activities as Meals on Wheels, accommodation and counsel­ling.

Norma Wilson is Family Day Care Co-ordinator and su p e rv ise s th re e Child Development Officers.

Nicole Oldfield, one of the CDOs, works 10 hours a week at the council's after-school activities centre at the Gilroy Rd Community Centre.

by ROBYN AHNSWORTH

"I would like to see the development of children's services and youth services in the municipality," Chris said, but he added it would be premature of him to outline his plans for community development.

At present, Chris is "get- ting-to-know" the area and its needs.

He is presently not merely looking at Ku-ring-gai, but at the whole no rth -easte rn region.

"1 don't think a community worker can work in isola­tion," he said.

"Other councils may have the similar needs and ex­p e rien ces we can draw upon."

At 33 and with 10 years' experience, Chris is not new to community work.

He has worked in some of the toughest training grounds for social workers, such as the Aboriginal Child Care Agency in Melbourne.

G w / f"I was the only white per­

son working there and had this feeling of guilt (as a white person) until I realised I had as m uch a r ig h t to my opinions as anyone," he said.

"That is where I leamt the meaning of the adage, you're either part of the problem or part of the solution."

Chris has also worked with the Aboriginal Legal Service in Brisbane, where he at te m p te d to " c r a c k the barriers between the legal se rv ic e , the S ta te Gov­

Ku-ring-gaito heip itseif

PART of the Ku-ring-gai Community Development Divi­sion team (from !eft), Chris Coutts, Norma Wiison and

Nicoie Oidfieid.

ernm ent and prison pro­grams".

There he developed pro­grams for adults m prisons and juveniles in detention centres.

Chris spent one year with the first youth refuge in Can­berra and was a social worker at the black comm unity housing service in Brisbane.However, it was as head of the com m unity serv ices department at the council in Richmond, Victoria, where

he leamt the value of Local Government.

"I believe in Local Gov­ernment, otherwise I would not have made such an effort to get back to it," Chris said.

"It is the form of democ­racy which is closest to the people and a community can use democratic rights to get what they want and need.

"They can use the officers as a funnel for their worries and ideas."B a s i s

Council is inviting comment on a social plan it released last year, but which has not yet been adopted.

"It will become a basis for community development," he said.

The plan is available from council and costs $15 for 16 volumes or $1.50 per volume.

" I 'd like to encourage people to become aware of it j and debate it," he said

"I am available at any time to become a p a rt of any discussion on it."

Chris said the plan is "very innovative stuff '.

"The plan helps point me in the direction the community thinks is important," Chris said