This time it’s personal
This time it’s personal 2007-2008 Annual Report
Conferences at Work St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria Inc. Source of referral of people assisted
68.43% 5.40% 1.79% 3.57% 20.81%
How you can help You can help the St Vincent de Paul Society help others by: Volunteering your time If you are interested in becoming a member of a conference or volunteering your time to assist people in your community through any of the Society’s services. Call 1300 736 933
Source of income of people assisted 2.59% 0.54% 4.92% 28.49% 22.92% 32.09% 3.13% 1.49% 1.60% 2.23%
Previous caller Government department Non-government agencies Church or similar Self-referral/friend
Salary & wages WorkCover Aged pension Sole parent payment Newstart/unemployment benefits Sickness/disability Other government No income Youth/study allowance Other/not determined
Analysis of the material assistance given by conferences
This time it’s personal
3.47% 1.56% 43.76% 12.83% 4.04% 1.69% 6.05% 3.96% 4.17% 17.44% 1.03%
St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria Inc. Locked Bag 4800, Box Hill Vic 3128 43 Prospect Street, Box Hill Vic 3128 Phone: 03 9895 5800 Fax: 03 9895 5850 Email: info@svdp-vic.org.au
Accommodation Cash Food vouchers/gift cards Food purchases Transport Whitegoods Utilities bills Education Other Donated food Prescriptions/medicine
Conference statistics for 2007 – 2008
ABN: 28 911 702 061
Making a bequest
RN: A0042727Y
Cases where material assistance given
Adults assisted
Children assisted
Conference bread runs (or food runs)
Households assisted by bread runs
$ value of assistance provided
Visits not involving material assistance
Conferences
Members
Auxiliary members
Eastern Central Council
25,328
32,189
20,733
2,341
8,963
$1,512,922
1,679
65
730
225
Northern Central Council
6,644
8,965
7,843
257
548
$396,261
257
33
294
25
Southern Central Council
21,186
29,035
26,376
860
4,035
$1,563,827
3,331
49
771
235
Western Central Council
20,967
27,986
25,079
1,355
6,417
$1,040,124
1,436
59
608
237
Gippsland Central Council
10,697
14,431
12,787
2,639
3,361
$824,370
2,547
18
270
109
ABN: 530 9480 7280
North Eastern Central Council
26,135
33,692
30,244
3,463
2,969
$1,930,401
6,431
38
503
157
ACN: 094 807 280
North Western Central Council
12,517
17,120
15,057
3,525
17,125
$974,170
8,136
43
476
124
123,474
163,418
138,119
14,440
43,418
$8,242,075
23,817
305
3,652
1,112
Consider remembering the St Vincent de Paul Society in your Will. The Society is able to assist thousands of people because of the generosity of those who have remembered us in their Will. For an information booklet or to speak to our Bequest Officer.
St Vincent de Paul Aged Care & Community Services
Call 03 9895 5800
Locked Bag 4700, Box Hill Vic 3128 43 Prospect Street, Box Hill Vic 3128
Making a financial donation
Phone: 03 9895 5900 Fax: 03 9895 5950 Email: accs@svdp-vic.org.au
Credit card donations can be made by visiting our website or calling the donation hotline. All donations of $2 or more are tax deductible. Online www.vinnies.org.au/vic or call 13 18 12
Donating goods Donations of quality clothing, furniture and household goods can be made to any Vinnies Centre. Call 1800 621 349
www.vinnies.org.au/vic
The Society
ST VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY VICTORIA INC. Central Councils Regions
The St Vincent de Paul Society is an international organisation that operates in 130 countries and has over 950,000 members worldwide. Established by Frederic Ozanam in France 1833, the St Vincent de Paul Society was founded in Australia by Fr Gerald Ward at St Francis’ Church in Melbourne on 5 March 1854. The St Vincent de Paul Society in Victoria has over 7,000 members and volunteers providing assistance to more than 660,000 people through its two arms: St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria Inc. and St Vincent de Paul Aged Care & Community Services.
All programs, services and facilities for both arms of the Society operate within the seven Central Council areas.
Conferences College conferences
7 34
Members
3,625
Auxiliary members
1,112
This time it’s personal
305 48
Vinnies Centres
97
Beginnings ST VINCENT DE PAUL AGED CARE & COMMUNITY SERVICES The inspiration and foresight of three people have been instrumental in the establishment and work of the St Vincent de Paul Society. In Victoria, the Society is over 150 years old and provides assistance to more than 660,000 people through the work of over 7,000 members and volunteers.
Aged Care Services Hostels Nursing Home Day Therapy Centre
We pay tribute to our patron and founders and continue to be inspired by their teachings and the example of their lives. NORTH WESTERN CENTRAL COUNCIL
Community Services NORTH EASTERN CENTRAL COUNCIL
Adult Support Services Housing Services Independent Living Units Marian Community Olive’s Place Ozanam Community Centre Ozanam House Quin House Youth Support Services
St Vincent de Paul
Bl Frederic Ozanam
Fr Gerald Ward
Patron
Founder
Australian Founder
Vincent de Paul was born in the small southern French town of Pouy (later renamed St Vincent de Paul in his honour) on 24 April 1581 and ordained as a priest in 1600 at the age of 19.
WESTERN CENTRAL COUNCIL NORTHERN CENTRAL COUNCIL EASTERN CENTRAL COUNCIL SOUTHERN CENTRAL COUNCIL GIPPSLAND CENTRAL COUNCIL
As a young man he ministered to the wealthy and powerful. However an appointment as chaplain to a poor parish, and to galley prisoners, inspired him to a vocation of working with those most marginalised and powerless.
Disability Employment Service Ozanam Enterprises
St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria Inc.
St Vincent de Paul Aged Care & Community Services
The St Vincent de Paul Society’s members and volunteers provide practical support, advocacy and friendship to the most vulnerable in our community through local groups, known as conferences, as well as our Vinnies Centres and Soup Vans. The Society also provides assistance to migrants and refugees seeking to rebuild their lives in a new country as well as supporting individuals and communities in developing countries. The St Vincent de Paul Society provides assistance to approximately 540,000 people in need each year within their local communities.
St Vincent de Paul Aged Care & Community Services manage professional welfare services focusing on aged care, homelessness and supported employment for people with a disability. The services are largely government funded but also raise funds through donations from individuals and philanthropic trusts in order to provide additional support over and above the government funded level. With approximately 550 employees and supported by volunteers, St Vincent de Paul Aged Care & Community Services assists over 120,000 people each year.
Conferences
Vinnies Centres
Soup Vans
Aged Care Services
Community Services
Disability Employment Service
Conferences respond to calls from people in need within their local communities and provide assistance with food, material aid, budget and utility bill advice, advocacy issues as well as a hand of friendship. They also provide a range of initiatives that address specific needs of the people they assist. Young adult conferences and college conferences involve younger members and provide a range of volunteer work in the community, including tutoring and organising Kids Camps for disadvantaged children.
Vinnies Centres provide quality clothing, furniture and household items to people in need. Stocks are available free of charge to people being supported by conference members, as well as to the general public at a low cost. Profits from the sale of stock in the centres assists in providing resources and support to people in need.
The Society’s four soup van services are based in Collingwood, Fitzroy, Footscray and Moe. Staffed by volunteers, the vans travel the streets of metropolitan Melbourne and Moe bringing food and friendship to thousands of people living in boarding houses, low-rise/high-rise flats, refuges and on the streets.
Elderly citizens are provided with care and accommodation through our aged care facilities located in Box Hill, Hamlyn Heights, Mont Albert North, North Melbourne, Traralgon, Terang and Westmeadows. These facilities include a nursing home for residents with high-care needs, hostels for residents with low-care needs and a day therapy centre.
A range of accommodation and support initiatives are provided to people experiencing homelessness or requiring help with issues such as general health concerns, drug and alcohol abuse, employment education and training options as well as social exclusion and isolation. Support services and temporary accommodation are also available for women and children escaping family violence.
Located in Mornington, Ozanam Enterprises is a supported employment service providing employment and training opportunities for people with a disability through meaningful work and vocational skill development.
Vincent urged his followers to bring God’s justice and love to people who were unable to live a full human life: “Deal with the most urgent needs. Organise charity so that it is more efficient…teach reading and writing, educate with the aim of giving each the means of self-support. Intervene with authorities to obtain reforms in structure… there is no charity without justice.” Vincent de Paul died in Paris on 27 September 1660 at the age of 79. He was canonised on 16 June 1737 and, in 1883, the Church designated him as the special patron of all charitable associations. The Society was named after St Vincent de Paul and follows his teachings and compassion for people in need. St Vincent de Paul is the international patron of the Society.
Frederic Ozanam was born in French occupied Milan on 23 April 1813. He was the fifth of fourteen children. In Paris at the age of just 20, Frederic established the St Vincent de Paul Society. At this time, the people of France were experiencing tremendous political and social upheaval: changes of government, the Industrial Revolution and unjust employment practices. Ozanam gathered some colleagues and began to respond in practical ways to the poverty and hardship he saw in the lives of people around him. They visited people in their homes and offered friendship and support. This practice, known today as ‘home visitation’, remains a core activity for St Vincent de Paul Society members and volunteers. The group formed by Ozanam and his friends later became known as the first ‘conference’ of the St Vincent de Paul Society. They met together regularly as a group for prayer and mutual support, to learn and to share ideas about how they could best assist others. Frederic Ozanam died on 8 September 1853 at the age of 40. He was beatified in Paris by Pope John Paul II on 22 August 1997.
Gerald Ward was born in London 1806 and arrived in Australia on 7 September 1850 after being recruited to work in the Melbourne mission by the pioneer priest Fr Patrick Geoghegan. The first conference of the St Vincent de Paul Society in Australia met in Melbourne at St Francis’ Church on 5 March 1854. The first president was Fr Gerald Ward. With the discovery of gold in 1851 and the rush to the goldfields of central Victoria, the population doubled and homeless, deserted children roamed the streets. Fr Ward and the new St Vincent de Paul conference responded to this acute problem by establishing the St Vincent de Paul orphanage in South Melbourne. The foundation stone was laid in 1855 and the first children were accepted in 1857. In 1855, in a submission to the government of the day, Fr Ward stated that the new conference aimed at “the relief of the destitute, in a manner as much as possible permanently beneficial and the visitation of poor families.” Gerald Ward died on 14 January 1858 aged 52. A newspaper noted that “he was one in whom many a widow and orphan had found a good friend.” His enduring legacy is founded in such friendship.
The Society
ST VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY VICTORIA INC. Central Councils Regions
The St Vincent de Paul Society is an international organisation that operates in 130 countries and has over 950,000 members worldwide. Established by Frederic Ozanam in France 1833, the St Vincent de Paul Society was founded in Australia by Fr Gerald Ward at St Francis’ Church in Melbourne on 5 March 1854. The St Vincent de Paul Society in Victoria has over 7,000 members and volunteers providing assistance to more than 660,000 people through its two arms: St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria Inc. and St Vincent de Paul Aged Care & Community Services.
All programs, services and facilities for both arms of the Society operate within the seven Central Council areas.
Conferences College conferences
7 34
Members
3,625
Auxiliary members
1,112
This time it’s personal
305 48
Vinnies Centres
97
Beginnings ST VINCENT DE PAUL AGED CARE & COMMUNITY SERVICES The inspiration and foresight of three people have been instrumental in the establishment and work of the St Vincent de Paul Society. In Victoria, the Society is over 150 years old and provides assistance to more than 660,000 people through the work of over 7,000 members and volunteers.
Aged Care Services Hostels Nursing Home Day Therapy Centre
We pay tribute to our patron and founders and continue to be inspired by their teachings and the example of their lives. NORTH WESTERN CENTRAL COUNCIL
Community Services NORTH EASTERN CENTRAL COUNCIL
Adult Support Services Housing Services Independent Living Units Marian Community Olive’s Place Ozanam Community Centre Ozanam House Quin House Youth Support Services
St Vincent de Paul
Bl Frederic Ozanam
Fr Gerald Ward
Patron
Founder
Australian Founder
Vincent de Paul was born in the small southern French town of Pouy (later renamed St Vincent de Paul in his honour) on 24 April 1581 and ordained as a priest in 1600 at the age of 19.
WESTERN CENTRAL COUNCIL NORTHERN CENTRAL COUNCIL EASTERN CENTRAL COUNCIL SOUTHERN CENTRAL COUNCIL GIPPSLAND CENTRAL COUNCIL
As a young man he ministered to the wealthy and powerful. However an appointment as chaplain to a poor parish, and to galley prisoners, inspired him to a vocation of working with those most marginalised and powerless.
Disability Employment Service Ozanam Enterprises
St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria Inc.
St Vincent de Paul Aged Care & Community Services
The St Vincent de Paul Society’s members and volunteers provide practical support, advocacy and friendship to the most vulnerable in our community through local groups, known as conferences, as well as our Vinnies Centres and Soup Vans. The Society also provides assistance to migrants and refugees seeking to rebuild their lives in a new country as well as supporting individuals and communities in developing countries. The St Vincent de Paul Society provides assistance to approximately 540,000 people in need each year within their local communities.
St Vincent de Paul Aged Care & Community Services manage professional welfare services focusing on aged care, homelessness and supported employment for people with a disability. The services are largely government funded but also raise funds through donations from individuals and philanthropic trusts in order to provide additional support over and above the government funded level. With approximately 550 employees and supported by volunteers, St Vincent de Paul Aged Care & Community Services assists over 120,000 people each year.
Conferences
Vinnies Centres
Soup Vans
Aged Care Services
Community Services
Disability Employment Service
Conferences respond to calls from people in need within their local communities and provide assistance with food, material aid, budget and utility bill advice, advocacy issues as well as a hand of friendship. They also provide a range of initiatives that address specific needs of the people they assist. Young adult conferences and college conferences involve younger members and provide a range of volunteer work in the community, including tutoring and organising Kids Camps for disadvantaged children.
Vinnies Centres provide quality clothing, furniture and household items to people in need. Stocks are available free of charge to people being supported by conference members, as well as to the general public at a low cost. Profits from the sale of stock in the centres assists in providing resources and support to people in need.
The Society’s four soup van services are based in Collingwood, Fitzroy, Footscray and Moe. Staffed by volunteers, the vans travel the streets of metropolitan Melbourne and Moe bringing food and friendship to thousands of people living in boarding houses, low-rise/high-rise flats, refuges and on the streets.
Elderly citizens are provided with care and accommodation through our aged care facilities located in Box Hill, Hamlyn Heights, Mont Albert North, North Melbourne, Traralgon, Terang and Westmeadows. These facilities include a nursing home for residents with high-care needs, hostels for residents with low-care needs and a day therapy centre.
A range of accommodation and support initiatives are provided to people experiencing homelessness or requiring help with issues such as general health concerns, drug and alcohol abuse, employment education and training options as well as social exclusion and isolation. Support services and temporary accommodation are also available for women and children escaping family violence.
Located in Mornington, Ozanam Enterprises is a supported employment service providing employment and training opportunities for people with a disability through meaningful work and vocational skill development.
Vincent urged his followers to bring God’s justice and love to people who were unable to live a full human life: “Deal with the most urgent needs. Organise charity so that it is more efficient…teach reading and writing, educate with the aim of giving each the means of self-support. Intervene with authorities to obtain reforms in structure… there is no charity without justice.” Vincent de Paul died in Paris on 27 September 1660 at the age of 79. He was canonised on 16 June 1737 and, in 1883, the Church designated him as the special patron of all charitable associations. The Society was named after St Vincent de Paul and follows his teachings and compassion for people in need. St Vincent de Paul is the international patron of the Society.
Frederic Ozanam was born in French occupied Milan on 23 April 1813. He was the fifth of fourteen children. In Paris at the age of just 20, Frederic established the St Vincent de Paul Society. At this time, the people of France were experiencing tremendous political and social upheaval: changes of government, the Industrial Revolution and unjust employment practices. Ozanam gathered some colleagues and began to respond in practical ways to the poverty and hardship he saw in the lives of people around him. They visited people in their homes and offered friendship and support. This practice, known today as ‘home visitation’, remains a core activity for St Vincent de Paul Society members and volunteers. The group formed by Ozanam and his friends later became known as the first ‘conference’ of the St Vincent de Paul Society. They met together regularly as a group for prayer and mutual support, to learn and to share ideas about how they could best assist others. Frederic Ozanam died on 8 September 1853 at the age of 40. He was beatified in Paris by Pope John Paul II on 22 August 1997.
Gerald Ward was born in London 1806 and arrived in Australia on 7 September 1850 after being recruited to work in the Melbourne mission by the pioneer priest Fr Patrick Geoghegan. The first conference of the St Vincent de Paul Society in Australia met in Melbourne at St Francis’ Church on 5 March 1854. The first president was Fr Gerald Ward. With the discovery of gold in 1851 and the rush to the goldfields of central Victoria, the population doubled and homeless, deserted children roamed the streets. Fr Ward and the new St Vincent de Paul conference responded to this acute problem by establishing the St Vincent de Paul orphanage in South Melbourne. The foundation stone was laid in 1855 and the first children were accepted in 1857. In 1855, in a submission to the government of the day, Fr Ward stated that the new conference aimed at “the relief of the destitute, in a manner as much as possible permanently beneficial and the visitation of poor families.” Gerald Ward died on 14 January 1858 aged 52. A newspaper noted that “he was one in whom many a widow and orphan had found a good friend.” His enduring legacy is founded in such friendship.
This time it’s personal
This time it’s personal 2007-2008 Annual Report
Conferences at Work St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria Inc. Source of referral of people assisted
68.43% 5.40% 1.79% 3.57% 20.81%
How you can help You can help the St Vincent de Paul Society help others by: Volunteering your time If you are interested in becoming a member of a conference or volunteering your time to assist people in your community through any of the Society’s services. Call 1300 736 933
Source of income of people assisted 2.59% 0.54% 4.92% 28.49% 22.92% 32.09% 3.13% 1.49% 1.60% 2.23%
Previous caller Government department Non-government agencies Church or similar Self-referral/friend
Salary & wages WorkCover Aged pension Sole parent payment Newstart/unemployment benefits Sickness/disability Other government No income Youth/study allowance Other/not determined
Analysis of the material assistance given by conferences
This time it’s personal
3.47% 1.56% 43.76% 12.83% 4.04% 1.69% 6.05% 3.96% 4.17% 17.44% 1.03%
St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria Inc. Locked Bag 4800, Box Hill Vic 3128 43 Prospect Street, Box Hill Vic 3128 Phone: 03 9895 5800 Fax: 03 9895 5850 Email: info@svdp-vic.org.au
Accommodation Cash Food vouchers/gift cards Food purchases Transport Whitegoods Utilities bills Education Other Donated food Prescriptions/medicine
Conference statistics for 2007 – 2008
ABN: 28 911 702 061
Making a bequest
RN: A0042727Y
Cases where material assistance given
Adults assisted
Children assisted
Conference bread runs (or food runs)
Households assisted by bread runs
$ value of assistance provided
Visits not involving material assistance
Conferences
Members
Auxiliary members
Eastern Central Council
25,328
32,189
20,733
2,341
8,963
$1,512,922
1,679
65
730
225
Northern Central Council
6,644
8,965
7,843
257
548
$396,261
257
33
294
25
Southern Central Council
21,186
29,035
26,376
860
4,035
$1,563,827
3,331
49
771
235
Western Central Council
20,967
27,986
25,079
1,355
6,417
$1,040,124
1,436
59
608
237
Gippsland Central Council
10,697
14,431
12,787
2,639
3,361
$824,370
2,547
18
270
109
ABN: 530 9480 7280
North Eastern Central Council
26,135
33,692
30,244
3,463
2,969
$1,930,401
6,431
38
503
157
ACN: 094 807 280
North Western Central Council
12,517
17,120
15,057
3,525
17,125
$974,170
8,136
43
476
124
123,474
163,418
138,119
14,440
43,418
$8,242,075
23,817
305
3,652
1,112
Consider remembering the St Vincent de Paul Society in your Will. The Society is able to assist thousands of people because of the generosity of those who have remembered us in their Will. For an information booklet or to speak to our Bequest Officer.
St Vincent de Paul Aged Care & Community Services
Call 03 9895 5800
Locked Bag 4700, Box Hill Vic 3128 43 Prospect Street, Box Hill Vic 3128
Making a financial donation
Phone: 03 9895 5900 Fax: 03 9895 5950 Email: accs@svdp-vic.org.au
Credit card donations can be made by visiting our website or calling the donation hotline. All donations of $2 or more are tax deductible. Online www.vinnies.org.au/vic or call 13 18 12
Donating goods Donations of quality clothing, furniture and household goods can be made to any Vinnies Centre. Call 1800 621 349
www.vinnies.org.au/vic
2007-2008 Annual Report
Mission The St Vincent de Paul Society is a lay Catholic organisation that aspires to live the gospel message by serving Christ in the poor with love, respect, justice, hope and joy, and by working to shape a more just and compassionate society.
Contents 2
The Society
4
St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria Inc.
4 5 6 7 8 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 24 25 26 27
State Council State President’s Report Chief Executive Officer’s Report Strategic Vision 2007-2012 Membership and Development Fundraising and Public Relations Our Services at Work Eastern Central Council Northern Central Council Southern Central Council Western Central Council Gippsland Central Council North Eastern Central Council North Western Central Council Vinnies Youth Social Justice Compeer Vinnies Centres Migrants and Refugees Overseas Development Soup Vans World Youth Day
Patron
28
St Vincent de Paul Aged Care & Community Services
The Governor of Victoria Professor David de Kretser AC
28 29 31 32 34 38
Board of Directors Chair and Chief Executive Officer’s Report Our Services at Work Aged Care Services Community Services Disability Employment Service
40 42 43
Financial Statements Thank you Beginnings
The St Vincent de Paul Society logo incorporates the symbol of three hands which represents: • The hand of Christ that blesses the cup, • The hand of love that offers the cup, and • The hand of suffering that receives the cup. When reproducing the St Vincent de Paul Society logo, all three components must be incorporated.
Editor Dianne Ballestrin St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria Inc.
Cover images Photographs appearing on the cover of this Annual Report were taken by St Vincent de Paul Society clients for the Winter Appeal. Main photograph courtesy of iStock.com.
3
4
St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria Inc.
This time it’s personal St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria Inc. The St Vincent de Paul Society is a lay Catholic organisation made up of over 7,000 members and volunteers as well as a small number of staff. In Victoria, the Society is governed by State Council consisting of 14 members, representing the members and volunteers, and overseeing the strategic directions of the Society’s two arms: St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria Inc. and St Vincent de Paul Aged Care & Community Services.
State Council
Jim Grealish State President
Tony Tome Deputy State President
Sandra Walker Vice President
Dennis Griffin Vice President
Teresa Wilson Vice President
Peter Jackson Treasurer & Corporate Secretary
Kevin Crosato Eastern Central Council President
John Stevens Northern Central Council President
Kevin Owens Southern Central Council President
Tony Proctor Western Central Council President
Ann Sara Gippsland Central Council President
Brian Lenten North Eastern Central Council President
Allen Moloney North Western Central Council President
Penny Badwal Youth Representative
Brian Dalton Chief Executive Officer
2007-2008 Annual Report
5
This time it’s personal State President’s Report Dear Vincentians, Friends, and Supporters of the Society, I report to you again with great pleasure on the Society’s activities over the 12 months ended 30 June 2008. You will see from reading this report that the Society has been active on many fronts and has met an increased demand for its services, largely because of drought, and an overall decline in the community’s economic prosperity. We are grateful to our members and volunteers who have administered this increased level of assistance. We also thank our donors and those who support our Vinnies Centres, because they provide the wherewithal for our assistance to people in need. We now also have two Vinnies Budget Grocery stores at Wendouree West and Mildura. These stores are dedicated to providing low-cost food, and thus allow low income families to make their limited funds go further. In addition to our primary task of assisting people in need, we have spent a lot of time in the year under review in preparing for World Youth Day, and in planning for an increase in the number of young people joining the Society as members or volunteers.
Jim Grealish, State President
We make no apology for this. A survey taken a few years ago showed us that the average age of our membership was in the mid-sixties. No organisation can afford to ignore such a number and continue to survive. We have also taken professional advice on what adjustments the Society must make to ensure that younger members will find us an attractive organisation to support. Many of our conferences and councils have already heeded the call to embrace younger members and make them welcome in our organisation. We also gratefully acknowledge the contribution many young men and women make to our Soup Van services, to Compeer and to Vinnies Youth. A significant number of our younger members are beginning to take over positions of responsibility. However, we believe that the World Youth Day celebrations will be the catalyst for more young people to seek ways in which they might renew their faith by supporting organisations such as ours. We need to be ready and willing to embrace them. The success of our assimilation of new members into the Society, to continue the great work of the last 175 years, will be a challenge for us all because it will involve us in accepting that the way others deal with problems may differ from ours. The life experiences of younger people, sometimes labelled as ‘Generations X & Y’ differ from those of older people. For some, the difference is simply described as the ‘generation gap’. Our future as a successful organisation will be determined by how we marry the wisdom and maturity of the present majority of members with the enthusiasm and optimism of the younger men and women who seek to join our ranks. In conclusion, let me thank all of our staff who ably support the work of our members and volunteers. Without the contribution of their talents our organisation would be very much the poorer. Jim Grealish State President
6
St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria Inc.
This time it’s personal Chief Executive Officer’s Report The continuation of Shared Services in the areas of Finance, Human Resources, Facilities and Information Technology, Fundraising Marketing & Development, across both areas of the organisation, is having beneficial effects. Realignment, review and creation of new policies have strengthened the organisation. During the year the Finance team, through changes to the Chart of Accounts, upgrade of training manuals and staff training, have achieved more timely monthly reporting of results. Significant changes also occurred in the area of Vinnies Centres. As a result of findings in the Staff Survey (late 2006), a number of initiatives have been implemented. New communication strategies (Vinnies Voice and HR Connect newsletters, staff and executive team meetings and intranet development), the development of an induction DVD, staff retention strategies and extensive training programs, in addition to the approval to proceed with a new staff performance evaluation system, to name a few. We are also delighted to report that staff turnover rates have been reduced by 3.1% over the last financial year.
Brian Dalton, Chief Executive Officer
Extensive work has been undertaken in occupational health and safety across worksites, particularly in the area of training, with a focus on compliance, auditing and the development and implementation of appropriate continuous improvement action plans and management tools, such as the ‘inter-locking checklists’. Significant improvement has been achieved in raising the profile of occupational health and safety, on-going development of a culture of health and safety, a reduction in the projected WorkCover premium of 16% for 2008-2009, together with open, positive and consultative communication with staff and volunteers. The Facilities Assets & Procurement team has continued to work closely with the Centres Administration management in establishing a comprehensive reporting process on the assessment of potential new sites. The purchase of a new property and building maintenance system will enable the team to actively track the progress of work requests and to enable staff at the various locations that have web access to log job requests. Changes in information technology have resulted in improved support for all remote sites and the availability of the Help Desk 24/7, 365 days a year. In the areas of Fundraising Marketing & Development additional resources have been provided to ensure optimal efficiency as seen in the Fundraising and Public Relations report. The Membership and Development, Compeer, and Vinnies Centres departments continue with excellent performance and detailed reports are included in the following pages. The conference statistical reports for the year highlight that the number of cases is 6.5% higher than the previous year and the monetary value of assistance has also increased by 22.6%. The Society is forever watchful of its efficiency when compared to other charitable organisations. The result for this year highlights a satisfactory result with administration expenses (fundraising/public relations and administration costs) being 9.21% of net funds available for client activities. I would like to acknowledge the contribution of all Society staff at Vinnies Centres and Central Administration for their continued loyal and devoted services to people who are marginalised and in need. Finally, my thanks to the many members, volunteers, donors and supporters of the Society for their continued contribution. Brian Dalton Chief Executive Officer
2007-2008 Annual Report
7
This time it’s personal Strategic Vision 2007-2012 In planning for the future development of the St Vincent de Paul Society, State Council has developed a Strategic Vision highlighting five key areas and initiatives in which to move forward and reinforce.
Spiritual development – Without a Christ-centered ethos the Society is just another community group Spirituality is one of the Society’s greatest strengths and it will be a key element in future development programs. The Society will also encompass the diversity of other faiths to ensure an open structure. • Spirituality will be the key element in all training programs • All training to include focus on the teachings of Ozanam • Structure ways to allow openness to other faiths without • Spiritual advisors be appointed for all Society conferences, losing Catholic tradition or creating divisiveness centres and special works, as appropriate
Space for all – Attract younger generations now With the average age of members currently being in their mid-sixties, it is essential that the Society attract younger generations into its membership. As the Society includes new generations, new project-based works, then new ideas and growth will occur. • The current distinction between member, staff member • Promote, allow and celebrate shorter term involvement and volunteer to be changed • Identify new ways of participating to attract new generations • Establish new project-based works and recruit specifically • Make space in current rules and structures to allow “space for all” • Identify where parts of The Rule/rules need to be modified to allow “space for all” Structure and sustainability – To have structures that effectively support and develop our members and those we assist To ensure that the Society has structures in place that will effectively support and develop our members, volunteers, staff and the people we assist as well as manage our revenue and assets to maximum benefit. • Review the structure of the St Vincent de Paul Society in Victoria • Prioritise the operations of the Society in the strategic plan • Develop the existing revenue streams and investigate and translate them into a five-year financial plan with a one new revenue streams year financial budget • Develop an asset management plan to ensure maximum • Develop risk management processes benefit and utilisation • Continuation of roll-out of information technology/wide area networking implementation and point of sale feasibility
Storytelling and communication – To be proud and promote what we do To ensure that the Society’s good works are communicated to the wider community through a variety of public relations streams including media and new technologies; giving voice to the people we assist. • Develop process for stories to be fed into Fundraising • Develop further and promote the organisation’s public Marketing & Development relations skills • Find the means to give all those who participate • Invest resources in improving internal communication and access to technology – intranet and internet information flowing from head office to members • Develop further all communication channels for • More diverse range of marketing materials – to promote all stakeholders of the Society “what we do” and “who we are” Support and development To review processes currently in place and ensure that succession planning and leadership is developed and implemented for all members, volunteers and staff. Training at all levels of the Society will be essential. • State Council to ensure the development of succession • Conduct a training needs analysis for members, volunteers planning and leadership programs for members, and paid staff and draw up plans to meet those needs volunteers and paid staff • Review processes to recruit key leadership roles eg all • State Council to ensure the development and implementation Presidents and Chief Executive Officers to ensure right of induction programs for all members, volunteers and staff people in positions
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St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria Inc.
This time it’s personal Membership and Development Conferences respond to calls for help from people in need within their local communities. They are the front line of the Society in action, visiting people in their homes, and providing material aid and comfort, help with utility bills, friendship and advocacy. They are also involved in special works such as tutoring, homework clubs, soup vans and other projects. The Membership and Development team supports and resources the work of the conferences and regional councils, working with them to identify their needs and responding with practical solutions.
Box Hill call centre • The call centre referred 45,412 welfare calls to conferences during the year. Most requests were for food, furniture, financial assistance and clothing. Approximately 6,000 further callers were assisted through referral to other agencies. • Call centre technology was upgraded to implement a call monitoring system.
Skills enhancement Membership and Development training aims to assist members to acquire the practical skills required for the work of a Vincentian, such as family visitation, counselling of families and people in need, and advocating to seek justice for the disadvantaged from governments and community groups. • 75 training sessions for conferences and special works were held, attended by almost 500 members and volunteers. • Several new training programs were introduced, including ‘Where did all my money go?’ which offers practical solutions for members to assist clients in financial stress. • Training resources for regional presidents were updated and new training for conference presidents was introduced. • Cross-cultural training was introduced to equip members with practical knowledge when assisting people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
New special works A range of new special works commenced throughout the year in metropolitan and country regions:
Assisting children through grief • Seasons for Growth is a grief counselling program which seeks to help children who are experiencing loss or grief through parental death, parental separation or other grief issues. Gift of literacy • Three educational programs, including tutoring, homework and reading clubs, have recently been established in various regions. The Society recognises that equitable access to education continues to be a key social justice issue and is a vital step in helping to break the cycle of generational poverty. • The focus of the homework/tutoring clubs is to improve numeracy and literacy skills and cater for children from Grade 5 to Year 8 who are unable to access private tuition. Many of the students are refugees from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. The programs, whilst educationally beneficial, are also fun for both kids and volunteer tutors. • The reading clubs help young children enjoy reading, read with greater clarity and understanding, and gain confidence in the understanding of a variety of texts. Thanks to the hard work of local conference members, partners and volunteers and support from the Membership and Development team these programs have been accessed by over 100 disadvantaged children and continue to grow.
Educational support Conferences provided a wide range of educational support in 2007-2008 to the value of $600,000. An educational support sub-committee is developing a set of practical educational support guidelines for conferences.
World Youth Day World Youth Day was a big focus in 2008 for the Membership and Development team, which had a heavy involvement in Days in the Dioceses events, including the Ozanam Lecture and the open air concert in Federation Square. The Vinnies Youth team provided intensive leadership and spiritual formation sessions for the 90 young Vinnies who attended World Youth Day in Sydney.
Women supporting women
Recruitment and renewal
• A new domestic violence project was successfully introduced. Conference members and volunteers are offering extra support to women and children fleeing domestic violence situations.
During the year, Membership and Development supported recruitment in conferences. Thirty information sessions resulted in a total of 395 new members. One new conference was established and two conferences that had ceased were revitalised.
2007-2008 Annual Report
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This time it’s personal Membership and Development Informative and insightful “The training workshops are one of the ways I can continue to support those we assist as effectively as possible and to improve the way in which I do my work.” In my first year as conference president I felt quite overwhelmed by my responsibilities. Although very well supported by the members of my conference I found the ‘Conference Presidents’ Training’ most valuable. I enjoyed the opportunity to network with different presidents from all over Victoria, meet some of the Membership and Development team and to take a tour of the Box Hill office. I also gained a better understanding of the Society’s structure. Over the last two years I have attended four training workshops organised by the Society. As a member and president of a conference, I found each workshop valuable and would encourage all Vincentians to attend. The knowledge and skills gained from the sessions have not only assisted me in the work I do for the Society but also in my day-to-day interactions with the general community, family members and work colleagues. The first workshop was ‘Working Effectively with Mental Illness’. A large number of people we assist suffer from a mental illness so I wanted to gain a deeper understanding of the condition. I found the workshop informative and insightful, particularly the module on communication techniques. The ‘Home Visiting Skills’ workshop was another excellent opportunity to meet other Vincentians and share our experiences and knowledge. I gained new and creative ideas about how to further assist the people we visit. I took back to my conference actions that other conferences were taking, which were proving effective and helpful. The ‘Interviewing Skills’ training provided me with specific communication techniques to build and maintain better relationships with people we visit. The workshop made me more aware of body language and how this affects our communication. An important technique is brainstorming a range of options with clients involving those affected by the final decision. The workshops are always presented in a friendly and professional manner. New members will definitely feel supported as they take on their role and will come away feeling better informed about the work they do. Long serving members can also gain something from the training as there are always new things to learn. We can become rather insular in the work we do and the workshops provide an invaluable opportunity to meet other Vincentians and to learn from each other. Rose Galea Brunswick West Conference President
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St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria Inc.
This time it’s personal Fundraising and Public Relations This year has seen a gradual growth in fundraising income from $6,772,869 (2007) to $8,414,631 (2008). A restructure of the department and increased resourcing has been successful with continued growth in all areas of fundraising and public relations. The Fundraising and Public Relations Committee has overseen the development of a new media policy and guidelines as well as a new fundraising policy for the St Vincent de Paul Society and St Vincent de Paul Aged Care & Community Services. During the year work also commenced on a media issues framework. Collectively these new policies form the basis of a comprehensive media and fundraising framework.
Vincentian Village – Hamlyn Heights, Geelong Fundraising for the new $14 million aged care facility in Geelong gained momentum throughout the year. A total of $810,000 was raised from private donors, trusts and foundations for furniture and fittings for the new facility.
Appeals Sydney-based advertising agency Clemenger BBDO and Clemenger Proximity joined forces with the Society in 2007 in a partnership arrangement to assist with national fundraising appeals. With the support of Clemenger both the Christmas 2007 and Winter 2008 appeals have been a resounding success. Victoria has seen revenue growth of 26% and 14% respectively in both appeals. We thank our many loyal donors and supporters for continuing to donate to these appeals. Thank you to all the St Vincent de Paul Society clients who took photographs for the Winter Appeal. The campaign proved to be one of the most personal appeals ever produced by the Society as clients shared their daily life experiences through film.
Major donors A full-time Major Donor Coordinator was appointed to the department in April 2008. The majority of work undertaken in this role is the further development of philanthropic funds from trusts and foundations to support the many and varied works of the St Vincent de Paul Society and St Vincent de Paul Aged Care & Community Services. A new focus of the role is on the development of relationships with major corporations and Victorian-based businesses – we have had success this year with corporate sponsorships for drought relief, in-kind donations of new products for people we assist as well as financial gifts.
Murphy Family Appeal December 22 2007 marked a tragic event in the life of the Murphy family after a devastating fire claimed the lives of two children. The St Vincent de Paul Society mounted a public appeal within hours of the pre-Christmas tragedy and raised $130,000 to assist this family to rebuild their lives. A trust fund has now been established to provide long-term support to meet medical and educational needs for the surviving children.
World Youth Day The department was heavily involved in the planning and execution of several events for Melbourne-based World Youth Day activities: the Journey of the Cross and Icon, the Welcome Centre at Australian Catholic University, the Ozanam Lecture at Melbourne Town Hall and the Vinnies Next Generation Concert featuring Australian and international artists for pilgrims at Federation Square. All of these events added to the public profile of the Society and contributed to a memorable visit of pilgrims to Victoria as part of these papal celebrations.
Vinnies Centres marketing A multi-faceted campaign for Vinnies Centres was launched in April 2008 to promote Vinnies Centres as a shopping destination for younger people and to encourage people to donate unwanted clothes. The campaign was run through 3AW and Nova/Vega as well as a public relations campaign through local community newspapers. New marketing materials were developed for centres. The campaign was highly successful and will be repeated in future years. Work commenced on a Vinnies Spring Fashion Week campaign which will be a three year marketing strategy to promote centres. A three year marketing plan is also being developed to aid centres in all marketing and advertising strategy.
Public Relations Porter Novelli, a Melbourne-based public relations firm has joined with the Society to provide assistance and advice on media strategy and issues. Along with staff expertise within the department and the assistance of Porter Novelli our public profile in the media continues to increase.
2007-2008 Annual Report
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This time it’s personal Our Services at Work The St Vincent de Paul Society provides practical support, advocacy and friendship to the most vulnerable in our community through our work in local groups known as conferences as well as our Vinnies Centres and Soup Vans. The Society also provides assistance to migrants and refugees seeking to rebuild their lives in a new country as well as to supporting individuals and communities in developing countries. These services are largely funded through independent fundraising. The St Vincent de Paul Society provides assistance to approximately 540,000 people in need each year within their local communities.
Our work • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Eastern Central Council Northern Central Council Southern Central Council Western Central Council Gippsland Central Council North Eastern Central Council North Western Central Council Vinnies Youth Social Justice Compeer Vinnies Centres Migrants and Refugees Overseas Development Soup Vans
The following pages record typical situations which members and volunteers of the Society meet in their every day encounters in the Victorian community. We have changed names to protect and respect the anonymity of the people we serve.
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St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria Inc.
This time it’s personal Eastern Central Council Passing it on After many years of being in a privileged family, and giving to the St Vincent de Paul Society, our family was very fortunate to have assistance from you today. My sister and her husband regularly do not have money and they struggle to pay their bills and feed their children after moving from Tasmania to Melbourne. We help where we can, as do other families, but this week we were not able to. Anna visited my sister, her husband and children today. My sister called me and was almost in tears with gratitude at the vouchers she was given for groceries for her family. She has not bought winter clothes for her children yet as she has not been able to afford them, and does struggle sometimes for food. Thank you for helping her today and please thank Anna for making them feel comfortable and not embarrassed for asking for help. Louise Anna McGlin is a member of the Box Hill/Box Hill North Conference and said, “It is not often that we receive formal thanks for our good works, so we were thrilled to receive this heart-felt letter. Some families are embarrassed to ask for assistance and when I see this, I always pass on a story about my mother and how, after our family immigrated to Australia, we needed support from the St Vincent de Paul Society. We lived in a country area where everyone knew each other so my father felt some embarrassment but my mother said, “If I receive help, I in return will help someone else.” And she did, serving 20 years with the Society as well as teaching us to do the same.” “I tell this story so the people we help feel more comfortable about accepting assistance. They can then choose to pass on help to someone else at another time when things have turned around for them,” explained Anna.
Regions Conferences
7 65
Members
730
Auxiliary members
225
College conferences
12
Vinnies Centres
16
Area covered
East Metro
The Eastern Central Council conference members have provided assistance to the value of $1,512,992 to 25,328 families in need during the last 12 months.
2007-2008 Annual Report
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This time it’s personal Northern Central Council An educational experience “Not all children have parents who can and/or are willing to read with them. I know from educating my own children that reading is essential in helping them to learn and to appreciate reading. Night time stories have always been a big event in our house!” “What always amazes me is that I get as much if not more out of my volunteering as the kids I am helping! The reading club gives retirees and volunteers, a sense of being very useful. Current students can eventually become volunteers themselves and pass on this wonderful experience. The important benefit available to these children through building relationships with role models who are wise and ‘life’ wise cannot be underestimated,” said Kevin McMahon an experienced teacher who decided to volunteer with the West Heidelberg Reading Club. The West Heidelberg Reading Club recruits volunteers through the conferences, parishes and schools in the Diamond Valley Region. Ten volunteers have committed to the club including: two qualified Special Education teachers, a speech therapist, a retired psychologist, a nurse and a grandmother who loves reading to her grandchildren. There are two men in the group, which is seen as a bonus in the terms of positive male role models for the students. The club started with 10 students from Grades 3 to 4, with the view to increasing to 15, including Grade 5 students. The children enjoy an afternoon tea and sharing a poem or short story as a group before choosing a book from the club’s library to read with one of the volunteers. The local school has been very supportive, with the school librarian contributing many hours of her own time to prepare the books and the library management system on the club’s laptop. The response from the students has been excellent and students have been enthusiastically involved in each of the activities. The Northern Central Council conference members have provided assistance to the value of $396,261 to 6,644 families in need during the last 12 months.
Regions Conferences Members Auxiliary members
3 33 294 25
College conferences
4
Vinnies Centres
5
Area covered
North Metro
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St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria Inc.
This time it’s personal Southern Central Council In her own way Sometimes the people who come to us for help provide amazing inspiration. Maria’s daughter passed away suddenly leaving Maria and her son to care for her two grandchildren. Despite tremendous grief, she took over managing the household to keep the children’s lives as normal as possible. The family only asked for support when things were desperate. Their priority was to provide a loving home. Unfortunately, Maria soon became ill herself. The doctors held little hope of her surviving many months but they sorely underestimated her determination to care for her grandchildren. As Maria’s health deteriorated, the family set up a bed for her in the lounge. From here, she managed all the children’s needs. Every morning they received her ‘final inspection’ before school. She oversaw their homework and made sure they were well fed. This beautiful family demonstrated tremendous love for each other. They never complained. They made the most of every day. Maria knew her son was taking on a huge burden and wanted him to have someone to talk to. He found strength from sharing his fears and concerns with conference members. Maria survived to see her grandchildren go to secondary school before she passed away quietly in the night. While Maria had set up a funeral plan, the family still could not meet all the expenses. The St Vincent de Paul Society advocated for them with funeral directors and other authorities to overcome some challenges. Photo: iStock.com
Many people from the community demonstrated their love for this strong spirited woman by attending the funeral service. Her dedication to her family had touched everyone’s hearts. The Society continues to support her son and grandchildren as they adjust once again to an enormous loss but they continue to build the strong and loving bond Maria created for them.
Regions Conferences
5 49
Members
771
Auxiliary members
235
College conferences Vinnies Centres Area covered
9 11 South Metro
The Southern Central Council conference members have provided assistance to the value of $1,563,827 to 21,186 families in need during the last 12 months.
2007-2008 Annual Report
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This time it’s personal Western Central Council Personal care for family It is wonderful when we can help families through difficult times and be there to see a great result. One family came to us for help when their daughter was diagnosed with kidney failure in 2007. With five other children between the ages of one and 11 to care for, the family was facing real financial strain. The father had to give up work so he could take his daughter in to the Royal Children’s Hospital for dialysis three times a week. As the family originates from New Zealand they were not entitled to receive much assistance from Centrelink. Understanding that the family was suffering, we helped them with food bills and clothing but our biggest assistance was giving them a $50 fuel voucher every week. This made the demand of regular hospital visits easier to manage. We recently received the good news that their daughter underwent a kidney transplant and is doing very well. The father now has his old job back and the mother is now in her final year of study, something we were also able to help them organise. The family is back on their feet and appreciate all the emotional and practical support we provided at a time when they had no-one else to turn to.
Photo: iStock.com
The Western Central Council conference members have provided assistance to the value of $1,040,124 to 20,967 families in need during the last 12 months.
Regions Conferences
5 59
Members
608
Auxiliary members
237
College conferences
11
Vinnies Centres
18
Area covered
West Metro
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St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria Inc.
This time it’s personal Gippsland Central Council A mother’s goal We received a call from Mary who was pregnant and had just arrived in town with nowhere to live. Her partner had become very ill on their way from Queensland and could not continue travelling. Mary was trying to reach her mother but her van broke down and she had to leave it with all their clothes inside. The Society arranged for her to stay at a motel for a few days and gave her some food. I rang the next day and Mary told me that her baby was born at 4.15 that morning. When we arrived, Mary was resting in bed with the baby in her arms. We checked that they were all right and called for an ambulance to take her to the nearest hospital 45kms away. Mary had cut the cord herself, cleaned the baby and wrapped her in towels to keep her warm. The ambulance officers were amazed at how well she had managed. That afternoon we went to visit Mary with clothes for her and the baby and were met by a midwife who informed us that DHS had been called in. We were allowed a short visit and noticed that Mary was in shock. We visited the Family Welfare Officer who told us this was normal procedure when they thought a baby was at risk. Mary had had another baby a few years before and was unable to look after the little boy due to mental illness. Our main job was to look after Mary so we contacted Centrelink and Gippscare who provided assistance. We found temporary accommodation for her at a caravan park. Eventually she found permanent accommodation and we helped her with furniture. Unfortunately Mary lost custody of her daughter to her father and step-mother. She is able to visit once a week. We take her for coffee occasionally and help with petrol so she can travel the distance to her father’s home. She is managing her medication and is determined to have her baby home with her. We will continue to support her so that she can realise this important goal.
Regions
3
Conferences
18
Members
270
Auxiliary members
109
College conferences Vinnies Centres Area covered
2 11
South East Vic
The Gippsland Central Council conference members have provided assistance to the value of $824,370 to 10,697 families in need during the last 12 months.
2007-2008 Annual Report
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This time it’s personal North Eastern Central Council Weathering the drought As the drought continues, many farmers in our country areas are facing devastating circumstances. The St Vincent de Paul Society has been assisting farming families since the beginning of the drought. As the dry conditions continue, the Society is being called upon more and more to provide much needed help. The decline in the farming industry affects many more local people who have lost their employment due to the downturn in related industries and suppliers. Over the past 12 months, the Goulburn Valley Regional Council passed on $448,500 to 10 conferences to provide assistance to local families. Many of the conferences are cold calling to find farming families who may be in need. Local government agencies are also referring families to the St Vincent de Paul Society as many of them are hesitant to ask for help. Volunteers then call on the families to offer assistance including: • • • • • • •
Food parcels Transport expenses Educational expenses Accommodation Whitegoods Utility expenses Clothing, furniture and household goods
• Medications • Miscellaneous costs such as farming bills, purchasing stock feed, vet fees, repairs to vehicles and machinery, vehicle registration, dental expenses
Photo: iStock.com
Our greatest assistance is providing friendship and referrals to other agencies.
The North Eastern Central Council conference members have provided assistance to the value of $1,930,401 to 26,135 families in need during the last 12 months.
Regions
5
Conferences
38
Members
503
Auxiliary members
157
College conferences Vinnies Centres Area covered
6 18
North East Vic
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St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria Inc.
This time it’s personal North Western Central Council On his own Keith, who is 75 years old, lived on his own six kilometres outside of Dimboola. We were called to visit him as his house had burnt down. When we arrived, we immediately contacted the fire brigade as we were concerned about the still smouldering ruins. Keith needed practical help such as replacement glasses, dentures, medication and a diabetic Glucometer. He was also suffering severe shock and sadness at the loss of his dog who was his close companion. Keith has no family so he also needed emotional support. The Society arranged short-term accommodation as well as Meals on Wheels. Then, by contacting a real estate agent, we found a small unit and furnished it through the local Vinnies Centre and donations including one from the landlord. Keith now has a complete new household. Members of the conference have provided Keith with transport to Centrelink so crisis payments and rent assistance could be arranged. These numbered five trips in all and each was 74kms. Members also made several trips to his home looking through the burnt remains in the hope of salvaging anything of value for him. Several legal avenues within the St Vincent de Paul Society were also exhausted trying to assist Keith in applying for a duplicate title of his land which would enable him to sell it and obtain some money in hand. The conference has since contacted a lawyer who is experienced in this field and will help. Photo: iStock.com
Keith is now happy in his unit and most appreciative of the amazing amount of work done on his behalf by the Society. He realises that he is not on his own and that we are always there to help. We feel we have accomplished something very worthwhile.
Regions Conferences
6 43
Members
476
Auxiliary members
124
College conferences Vinnies Centres Area covered
4 18 West Vic
The North Western Central Council conference members have provided assistance to the value of $974,170 to 12,517 families in need during the last 12 months.
2007-2008 Annual Report
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This time it’s personal Vinnies Youth Confidence blossoms We met a young girl, Melissa, at our Christmas Family Day at the AMF Bowling Centre. She was an only child and extremely shy. Her mother shared her concerns with us about how she would not mingle with other children and always needed her mother with her. We felt our Family Day would be a good ice breaker allowing Melissa to meet some of our regular Kids Day Out participants and our volunteer leaders. We hoped Melissa would feel comfortable to come to our next Kids Day Out without her Mum. Throughout the bowling day, Melissa started to open up to one of our leaders and got to mingle with some of the other kids who were also enjoying the event. She even seemed to forget about looking out for her Mum and was at the front of the queue when Santa Claus came to visit. At the end of the day we asked Melissa if she would like to come to our next Kids Day Out and she gave us a definite “Yes!” We organised to pick up Melissa along with other kids and have a day at the movies. When Melissa came out to the van, she was very happy and excited. As we drove off, we could see her Mum standing in the middle of the road. She was watching and waiting for the brake lights to light up and for Melissa to jump out of the van wanting to come home but she didn’t. Melissa had a great day and returned home with a big smile on her face which matched the smile on her Mum’s face.
Vinnies Youth Ball The Vinnies Youth Ball has become one of the highlights of the St Vincent de Paul Society’s social calendar, and indeed, one of the most highly anticipated youth events in Melbourne. Each year over 400 people including Vinnies members from young adult conferences and college conferences, gather for a night of fun and dancing while also helping to raise funds for World Youth Day pilgrims from Twinned countries in the Asia Pacific region.
Photo: iStock.com
Vinnies Youth members coordinate the following activities: • Kids Days Out • Kids Camps • Teenage Camps
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St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria Inc.
This time it’s personal Social Justice Maintaining power Pat McCarthy is a member of the Kennington Conference and shared the following story of how solutions to problems can be found. John’s elderly father brought him to the centre to see if we could help him get the power back on at his house. John is on a disability pension and trying to cope with his four little girls, the eldest 10 and the youngest just five years old. His partner left the family some time ago. When we asked what they were doing for lighting at night, John said they were using candles. I asked if he had contacted the power company. He replied that he hadn’t done this because he didn’t have the money to pay the current account. He seemed to be overwhelmed by the situation and didn’t know how to go about sorting it out. I told him that we would contact the power company immediately. We eventually got through to a very helpful man in the customer service section. He was quite horrified when I told him that children were being placed in such a perilous situation by having to use candles. He explained the company’s hardship policy and informed us about the Utility Relief Grant. After speaking to John for some time about his circumstances, he assured him that the power would be reinstated that evening.
Photo: iStock.com
They also talked at length about entering an agreement to pay an amount that John could afford, which could be deducted fortnightly through Centrelink. John was also encouraged to contact the power company anytime he needed assistance. Everything was explained so well that I have no doubt that John feels he can manage his account and does not have to feel powerless about it. At Christmas we gave a much happier John and his little family a hamper and toys for the children. We received a big hug in return which was ample reward for giving ‘a hand up’ to this family.
2007-2008 Annual Report
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This time it’s personal Compeer Careful, personal attention Sam is a young man in his mid-twenties. His psychotic episodes have led to legal problems in the past. Even on regular treatment, Sam had become isolated and fearful. He lived in his mother’s house and rarely ventured out except for medical appointments. With virtually no human contact other than with his mother and his caseworker, Sam had become in his words, an “overweight, chain smoking, couch potato”. Sam was matched with 23 year old student, Peter. It took great persistence and patience, but Sam gradually began to venture out with Peter. They walk to the local park to kick a football, go out for a coffee and occasionally go to inexpensive cafes for lunch. Sam’s smoking has decreased, his physical and mental health has improved and after two years, he is able to move into more independent accommodation where he has greater social contact. Simple friendship has made a profound difference in Sam’s life. His volunteer, Peter, feels his understanding and compassion have increased throughout all areas of his life.
Everyone deserves a friend The Compeer program affects everyone involved in a very personal way. A research project, funded by a grant from The William Buckland Foundation, and completed over 2006-2007 revealed the following: Mental health professionals: “No matter how ill you are, I think the one thing that really counts is a touch of human kindness. It’s kindness that eases people’s pain and gets them through it. I can’t imagine how my client would go without the volunteer. It would be very hard.” Volunteers: “It amazes me that the short time spent with my companion can make such a difference in her life.” Companions: “I like going out with my volunteer because I can do things and feel like a real person.”
Photo: iStock.com
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St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria Inc.
This time it’s personal Vinnies Centres 2007-2008 has been another record year for Vinnies Centres, with sales up by $2,077,000 (14%) on the previous year. When times are tough, the community increasingly turns to Vinnies to provide a source of low cost quality goods and clothing. The surplus funds from Vinnies Centres support the ever-increasing demand on our welfare programs. Whilst the past year has been a successful one in terms of financial performance, we have seen many changes to the landscape of centres. In October 2007, we were confronted with the tragedy of the Vinnies Centre in Bayswater being destroyed by fire and a similar event occurred at Mornington in February 2008. These events had a sobering effect on Centres Administration staff along with the management and volunteers of the centres involved. These Vinnies Centres will re-open in the coming months. In contrast to these tragic events, the growth of centres continues and during the year we relocated centres at Lilydale and Malvern, opened new ones at Carrum Downs, Ballarat and Hamlyn Heights; expanded those at Cranbourne and Pakenham, while refurbishments occurred at Bendigo, Echuca, Mitcham and Shepparton.
Point of Sale system After much discussion, testing and evaluation, including a pilot test run at the Vinnies Centre in Oakleigh, touch screen point of sale technology will be rolled out to 20 centres from July 2008. The new system integrates EFTPOS and processes donations and casework vouchers. Sales information will be more accurate and the possibility of errors will be greatly reduced. An extensive training program will accompany installation of the point of sale machines and we anticipate much excitement from our volunteers, staff and customers throughout the introduction of this state of the art retail technology.
Our team Quality training of our volunteers and employees ensures that we have the very best teams leading our centres. Various training opportunities were offered throughout the year, from merchandising to occupational health and safety training. In April 2008, seven workshops were run across metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria, with over 200 Centre Managers and Day Coordinators taking part in leadership training to develop their skills as leaders.
Centres run at their best when the Centres’ leadership and volunteers work together to achieve the best possible outcomes. Centre Management Teams are an effective and inclusive model for ensuring that everyone has input into the operation, management and development of centres. Over 80% of centres have a Centre Management Team in place; the remaining 20% will be in place by the end of 2008.
Transport review During the past 12 months, the review of transport operations gathered significant momentum. New handling and transport methods were trialled at 12 centres (six country and six metro) during May 2008. In essence, these methods involve the use of dedicated trucks to perform the following tasks: 1. Clearance of donation bins by a dual axle rigid truck with rear mounted forklift. 2. Bales as receptacles for product were replaced by wheelie bins at centres and cleared by a compactor truck (removing significant manual handling issues). 3. Waste clearances by a combination of contractors and Vinnies’ trucks (when available). 4. Actioning 1, 2 and 3 above freed up Vinnies’ trucks to concentrate on welfare deliveries and furniture collections thereby providing a much improved service and generating additional stock. Those centres participating in the trial embraced the changes and fully support the proposed transport model’s introduction across the State. Material Aid The value of product (clothing, furniture and household items) given away by Vinnies Centres for welfare purposes during 2007-2008 totalled $1,279,700. Centres Financial Overview Sales
$17,039,510
Expenses
$7,414,612
Funds available for distribution
$9,624,898
2007-2008 Annual Report
23
This time it’s personal Vinnies Centres More than a job
Marlene’s first day as a centre manager at Vinnies in Kew meant more to her than ‘just a job’. It was her opportunity to take her relationship with the Society to a different level. A few years ago, Marlene needed help during a bad patch in her life. When things finally settled down for her, she decided the time had come to give back to the community. With amazing timing, the relocated Vinnies Centre in Ringwood was looking for volunteers and did a leaflet drop in the area Marlene had moved into. After initial training, Marlene quickly realised that she had some great merchandising skills. She loved sorting the clothing and embraced the challenge of making the displays look interesting and enticing. The response was really positive and Marlene was asked to help out at more centres including Mitcham, Croydon and the newly relocated Lilydale centre. they have all benefited from her ‘magic touch’. Marlene has now taken on her biggest challenge to date, becoming an employee centre manager in one of the most successful Vinnies Centres in the metropolitan area. The skills she gained as a volunteer are invaluable in her role. Marlene says her experience as a volunteer gave her the confidence to take the next step in her journey. She sees her new role as giving something back to the community and as a way of demonstrating her thanks for the help she received at a difficult time in her own life. She is inspired by the people who work with her and by the people we are able to help. Marlene’s personal journey with Vinnies is an inspiration to others.
In Victoria the St Vincent de Paul Society has 97 Vinnies Centres providing quality clothing, furniture and other affordable household items to the public. Alfredton Ararat Ascot Vale* Ashburton* Bairnsdale Ballarat Bayswater* Benalla Bendigo* Briar Hill Brooklyn Camperdown Carrum Downs Casterton Castlemaine Clayton Cobram Coburg* Colac Collingwood Cowes Cranbourne* Croydon Dareton Daylesford Eaglehawk Echuca Edithvale* Ferntree Gully Frankston* Geelong* Glenroy Hamilton Hamlyn Heights Hampton Hastings Hawthorn Heidelberg Heights Heyfield Hoppers Crossing* Horsham Kangaroo Flat Kerang Kew East* Korumburra Kyabram Kyneton Lalor Leongatha
Lilydale Malvern Mansfield Maryborough Melton Mildura Mitcham* Moe Mont Albert Mooroopna Mornington Morwell Mount Clear Newport Norlane Numurkah Oakleigh* Ocean Grove Ormond Ouyen Pakenham Pinewood Port Melbourne* Preston Queenscliff Ringwood Sale Seaford Sebastopol Seymour Shepparton* Springvale* St Albans St Arnaud Sunbury Sunshine Swan Hill Tatura Traralgon Wangaratta Warburton Warragul Warrnambool Wendouree Werribee Wodonga* Wonthaggi Yarrawonga
Donations of good quality clothing, furniture and household items can be made to any Vinnies Centre. Call 1800 621 349 * Denotes centres with INNZONE fashions.
24
St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria Inc.
This time it’s personal Migrants and Refugees A personal contribution Adam and his family arrived in Shepparton from the Democratic Republic of Congo in October 2005. Adam, his wife and their five children moved into an old three bedroom weatherboard house. All of their belongings were contained in five small striped bags. When conflict broke out in his country, Adam fled to a refugee camp in Tanzania with his wife and one child. He was studying to become a secondary school teacher but was unable to get the paperwork showing his qualifications. During their 10 years at the refugee camp, they had four more children. Adam’s English was quite good and he spoke French as well as Swahili. He attended TAFE for further English lessons. In April 2006 he started doing some part-time cleaning at Notre Dame College, the local Catholic school where all the new refugee secondary students were being educated. In July 2006, Adam started a traineeship as an Integration Aide at Notre Dame College. He is now employed full-time in this position. Since arriving in Shepparton, he has obtained his qualification paperwork from The Congo and is hoping to become a teacher in Australia in the future.
Photo: iStock.com
In 2007 Adam was invited to join a local Fairley Leadership Program and was sponsored by Notre Dame College. This program helps people to become leaders within the local community. He graduated in November 2007 and is very involved with the local Ethnic Council and Congolese community. He was also asked by the Department of Immigration, to join the Australian Cultural Orientation Program Advisory Group in Canberra. By the end of January 2007, Adam had obtained a driver’s licence and bought a car; a new baby boy was born into the family in March and, by the end of the year, Adam had purchased his own home. Currently, he has a scholarship from the Victorian Multicultural Community, to do an interpreter’s course. He drives to and from Melbourne to attend the course once a week after work and completes extra work via the internet while still working full-time. It has been wonderful to see Adam providing a new life for his family. Australia has benefited from his dedication and commitment to the community. John McLean Chair Migrant and Refugee Committee
2007-2008 Annual Report
25
This time it’s personal Overseas Development Seeing in person On the 24 September 2007 I was asked to lead a group of young Victorian Vincentians on a visit to fellow members in the Philippines. Membership to the Society in the Philippines begins in secondary school and children are encouraged to spend time visiting and taking food to the poor. Education is seen as a way out of poverty. Sadly thousands of families are unable to afford the basic costs of education and many of them skip meals in order to pay school fees. In 1991 the Society in Victoria began the Assist a Student program to help families in need to afford basic education. From a humble beginning the program has grown significantly. Nationally this year 700 scholarships were offered to the Philippines with 4,685 students receiving scholarships throughout the Asia Pacific region. Our tour party visited the small Island of Leyte; the site of a national disaster where a mud slide buried an entire village. Without warning, the village of Guinsaugon disappeared, along with 1,000 inhabitants, under 30 metres of mud and rock. We saw the disaster site first-hand and spoke with many of the survivors still struggling to come to terms with the loss of loved ones. Later we were invited into their humble homes in a relocation village. Everyone expressed heart-felt gratitude to the St Vincent de Paul Society in Australia for the Assist a Student scholarships. For these courageous survivors the program is personal. They cannot see the way forward without our assistance. One lady grasped my hand and tearfully pleaded with me to continue supporting her in educating her remaining daughter. We also visited students in their schools and heard scholarship beneficiaries express gratitude for the opportunity to study and plan a career path. We were overwhelmed by their sincerity and gratitude.
Country
Twinned Conferences
Bangladesh
2
Cambodia
1
Caroline Islands
1
East Timor India Indonesia
8 317
620
16
287
For many families the program is vital to their day-to-day survival, and their ability to afford basic education. I felt proud that the Victorian Overseas Development Committee had initiated this program.
Kiribati Myanmar
59
John O’Brien Chair Overseas Development Committee
Pakistan
25
Philippines Thailand
Students Assisted
27
114
159
4
291
539
1,392
26
St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria Inc.
This time it’s personal Soup Vans Good friends Russell Smith has been a volunteer with the Matthew Talbot Soup Van in Fitzroy for seven years. “I set aside every Wednesday night to lead the team of soup van volunteers as coordinator. The Vannies are a group of willing volunteers made up primarily of secondary school and university students who join us in preparing the food and visiting boarding houses in the North Melbourne, Fitzroy and the inner city area.” “It is wonderful to see these young people giving their time and energy to make sure that people in need have a good meal and some companionship. With the nights so cold, it is sometimes hard to turn up and get into action. Then I remember the faces of the people we go to visit and any hesitation disappears. I think our greatest gift is friendship. The people we visit look forward to good food but most of all they enjoy being with us even if only for a short time,” said Russell.
Goodbye my friend Vannies experiences are wide ranging. Here is just one story. One Wednesday night our small group was visiting one of the boarding houses in Fitzroy. We knocked gently on the door of one of the rooms where we knew George would be waiting for us but received no answer so we called out his name. He was a great friend and we looked forward to our conversation with him each week. When there was still no answer, two other people in the boarding house told us that George had not been seen for a while. We called a supervisor who opened the door and we discovered that our friend had died peacefully in his sleep. It was a sad time for us all. Russell Smith, Vannie and frontman for The Brolga Boys, one of the Australian acts featured at the Vinnies Next Generation Concert.
Soup Van Margaret Oats Soup Van – Collingwood Matthew Talbot Soup Van – Fitzroy Matthew Talbot Soup Van – Footscray Frederic Ozanam Soup Van – Moe
We reflected on George’s life as a group and had the privilege of attending his funeral service as we wanted to say goodbye to our good friend. The people we serve become a part of the St Vincent de Paul Society family. We laugh with them. We share their ups and downs and our lives are richer for having known them.
Meals Provided
People assisted per night
Volunteers available
35,100
112
60
130,000
356
250
36,400
100
49
6,344
61
25
207,844
629
384
2007-2008 Annual Report
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This time it’s personal World Youth Day
Planning for World Youth Day festivities and the Days in the Dioceses program started 12 months ago and culminated in Melbourne being inundated with approximately 25,000 international pilgrims who participated in the St Vincent de Paul Society’s two events held on Thursday 10 July 2008. Over 1,500 guests attended the Society’s 11th Ozanam Lecture held at the Melbourne Town Hall. Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez was guest lecturer and his address, “Companions on the Journey: Sharing Jesus’ Love” was responded to by conference member and barrister, Christine Boyle. The Vinnies Next Generation Concert was a free public event held at Federation Square. Over 7,000 international and local pilgrims attended the concert which featured a line-up of Australian and international acts as well as showcasing the Society’s good works, making many people aware for the first time of the extent of our services in the community. Thousands of pilgrims also received essential information on the Society at the Pilgrim’s Welcome Centre. The stall, manned by Society staff and volunteers, was very popular. World Youth Day was initiated in 1984 by Pope John Paul II and is celebrated every three years. World Youth Day brings together pilgrims from across the world to share and deepen their faith whilst participating in a five-day program developed by the host country. The Society extends their sincere thanks to everyone involved in making the World Youth Day events such a success.
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St Vincent de Paul Aged Care & Community Services
This time it’s personal St Vincent de Paul Aged Care & Community Services St Vincent de Paul Aged Care & Community Services was incorporated on 1 August 2003 as a result of the St Vincent de Paul Society’s desire to ensure major government funded works are developed and run with service expertise and managed professionally. The Board of Directors is empowered with independent responsibility for the strategic direction and development of the organisation in accordance with the Mission and ethos of the St Vincent de Paul Society.
Board of Directors
Pamela Macklin Chair
Maurie Joyce
Allen Pretty
Peter Rigg
Catherine Collins
Mark Stenhouse
Mary O’Reilly
Jeremy Brasington
Lois Lindsay
Doug Kent Chief Executive Officer & Company Secretary
2007-2008 Annual Report
29
This time it’s personal Chair and Chief Executive Officer’s Report During the last 12 months, there has been significant reflection on the services that St Vincent de Paul Aged Care & Community Services delivers and the impact of our mission on the provision of those services. To this end, the Board and Executive have commenced an extensive review of the three core service delivery areas of community services, aged care and disability services to ensure that our future sustainability is firmly based on a balance between the values embedded in our mission, organisational capabilities and available resources. This important work will continue into the next financial year. The advancement and delivery of several projects that have been in the planning stage for some time has also been very positive and rewarding.
Pamela Macklin, Chair
Doug Kent, Chief Executive Officer
Vincentian Village – Hamlyn Heights, Geelong Of particular note is the commissioning of our newly constructed 91 bed residential aged care facility at Hamlyn Heights, Geelong which took place in June this year. Known as Vincentian Village, after the name was chosen following extensive consultation with the local community in the Geelong area, this state of the art facility provides advanced low- and high-care residential accommodation. We have created a community that allows people to stay in one place even if their needs intensify. The design of Vincentian Village incorporates many environmentally sustainable design concepts for energy conservation and water recycling, and will offer residents a home-like environment that is both efficient for staffing and delivery of care. Funding was provided by a number of sources and the Board would like to particularly thank the many donors who contributed more than $800,000 towards the project. With the commissioning of Vincentian Village, we say farewell to Rosalie and Vincentian Houses. Both facilities have provided residential accommodation in the Geelong area for many years and, although outdated by today’s standards, will be sadly missed by the people that called them home.
Housing Association From its 2004 Strategy for Growth in Housing for Low Income Victorians, the Victorian Government has advanced the process of implementing additional social housing through the development of affordable housing associations, whereby non-government organisations own and manage housing for low-income people. Throughout 2007-2008 the Board have been evaluating the opportunities presented by registering as a Housing Association. We believe this to be an important strategy to enable the future development of affordable accommodation solutions for people in need within our community. With affordable housing the subject of current political debate, we continue to see an escalation of people requiring support at our crisis accommodation services – and not just people with drug, alcohol and mental health problems, but increasingly families displaced from the private rental market.
North Melbourne re-development During the year the Board commenced the development phase of a master plan that would control the re-development of facilities at the Ozanam House site in North Melbourne. The Board is keen to work with the State Government, Melbourne City Council and the local community to improve the range and quality of accommodation and related services provided at the site.
30
St Vincent de Paul Aged Care & Community Services
This time it’s personal Chair and Chief Executive Officer’s Report Financial performance The Board is pleased to report a net surplus for 2007-2008 of $3.3m with total revenues of $27.1m. The majority of the surplus is considered ‘non-operating’ in nature and will be directed to the on-going maintenance and development of our facilities. Aged Care funding underwent substantial change during the period with the introduction of the Aged Care Funding Instrument in March, and we are closely monitoring our subsidy payments to identify emerging trends. During the year our two Geelong facilities (Vincentian House and Rosalie House) were sold as the prelude to opening our new facility; Vincentian Village. The settlement for Vincentian House was completed within the financial year whilst Rosalie House settled post 30 June 2008 and will consequently be reported in the 2008-2009 financial year. Our Balance Sheet remains very strong. Debt introduced during the year as a form of bridging finance for the Vincentian Village project has been repaid and Net Assets have increased by $3.0m. Overall the financial health of St Vincent de Paul Aged Care & Community Services is very strong and well positioned to respond to the initiatives the Board has identified in the strategic planning process.
Looking ahead The coming year will see the culmination of several projects commenced in this current year. Settling the residents into Vincentian Village will be a major priority for aged care and deliberations surrounding registration as a Housing Association and the North Melbourne re-development will continue in earnest. Negotiations for the purchase of land adjacent to our nursing home in Box Hill will continue and this will enable the creation of another community that will provide flexible residential options for older people. The Board will also continue its review of the strategic plan and will work with the Executive Team to develop sustainable business models for community services, aged care and disability services that are strategically reconcilable with St Vincent de Paul Aged Care & Community Services’ values, capabilities and resources. We will continue our commitment to research-based advocacy and will strive to strengthen our relationship with all levels of government and the community at large.
Acknowledgements In August 2007 Lois Lindsay joined the Board. Lois brings with her a wealth of knowledge in the aged care area, gained through both her work experience and professional qualifications. It can be very difficult at times to balance meeting the constant change in legislation, and expectation, with service excellence and consistency and we must thank our staff who have put enormous energy into constantly striving to improve services to support the many people we serve. To donors, volunteers and other supporters who have all played a vital part in the successful operation of St Vincent de Paul Aged Care & Community Services, we thank you. As we shift into a new year, and continue to serve people who are marginalised and disadvantaged in the community, we look forward to continuing and building on these relationships. Pamela Macklin Chair
Doug Kent Chief Executive Officer
2007-2008 Annual Report
31
This time it’s personal Our Services at Work St Vincent de Paul Aged Care & Community Services manage professional welfare services focusing on aged care, homelessness and supported employment for people with a disability. The services are largely government funded but also raise funds through donations from individuals and philanthropic trusts in order to provide additional support over and above the government funded level. With approximately 550 employees and supported by volunteers, St Vincent de Paul Aged Care & Community Services assists over 120,000 people each year.
Our work • Aged Care Service • Community Services • Disability Employment Service
The following pages provide an overview of the services and programs managed by St Vincent de Paul Aged Care & Community Services. We have changed names to protect and respect the anonymity of the people we serve.
Photo courtesy of Latrobe Valley Express
Photo courtesy of Janet Graham
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St Vincent de Paul Aged Care & Community Services
This time it’s personal Aged Care Services The residential aged care sector of St Vincent de Paul Aged Care & Community Services, provides care and accommodation for elderly citizens through our seven aged care facilities operating across Victoria. These facilities include a nursing home for residents with high-care needs, hostels with ageing in place, for residents with low-care needs and a Day Therapy Centre which complements the services provided to our 350 residents. There have been many legislative and regulatory changes over the last 12 months. Risk management is a high priority for all areas of aged care and incorporated into this has been the commencement of the building continuity plan development.
Accreditation We are now preparing for our third round of accreditation. The many announced and unannounced support visits from the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency have resulted in no non-compliances, which means all standards and outcomes have been met.
Aged Care Funding Instrument The new funding tool was implemented from 20 March 2008. This has involved many training sessions for all levels of staff.
We have a continued focus on the well-being of residents which is evidenced though our programs and upgrades to facilities such as: • St Anne’s garden • Bailly House residents’ holiday to Apollo Bay • Nursing Home review of the Day Therapy program and enlargement of the dining/lounge • Vincentian Village alcohol management program • May Noonan Hostel refurbishment and floor covering replacement • Vincenpaul Hostel refurbishment of rooms and walking path revision • O’Mara House refurbishment program
Grants received
Once again the seasonal gastroenteritis and influenza clusters occurred in the community, with the infection then being transferred to the residential care facility. The situations at residential aged care facilities were managed according to Local, State and Federal guidelines. All correct procedures were followed and the Local Government and State authorities visited the facility and inspected the premises with positive outcomes.
St Vincent de Paul Aged Care & Community Services has a clearly stated policy and commitment to staff development and training.
Vincentian Village – Hamlyn Heights, Geelong
Surviving the issues facing aged care is a continual forward looking management approach. These issues include: the universal shortage of nurses, legislative changes, practice requirements, funding shortages, accreditation requirements, competing within the industry to fill vacant low-care beds, and providing high quality care with limited resources always being the ultimate challenge.
The transfer of residents from Rosalie House and Vincentian House to the new facility commenced on Monday 23 June and was completed by Thursday 26 June 2008. Families, friends, volunteers and staff assisted with this mammoth venture. The blessing and formal opening of the new residence are planned for Friday 5 September 2008.
May Noonan Hostel received a $40,000 grant funded by the Australian Government Water Fund. As with many parts of Australia, water savings and water catchments are two key needs for rural areas such as Terang. The grant has enabled the purchase and installation of two water tanks, dual flush toilet cisterns, and storm water system and garden reticulation. The water estimated to be saved through this grant is 218,477 litres annually. Vincenpaul Hostel received a grant from Veterans’ Affairs which provided a flag pole and Australian flag.
Training and Development
All facilities have received a Better Skills for Better Care funded place for Certificate IV in Health Nursing, on successful completion being eligible to register as Division 2 Nurses.
Future
2007-2008 Annual Report
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This time it’s personal Aged Care Services Doing what I can Joan Bermingham’s association with the St Vincent de Paul Society began in 1976 when she joined the Ladies Auxiliary at the newly established O’Mara House, to help raise funds for the facility. Joan loves to bake. Her expert skills were called upon for street stalls, casserole lunches and cake stalls. “Give me a packet of flour and a dozen eggs and I’ll fill your stall!” Joan claimed. At that time, O’Mara House had limited staff so the ladies attended on the weekend to enable the supervisor to have a few hours break. The ladies would sit and chat to residents always keeping a watchful eye on them. The ladies pampered residents by washing and setting their hair as well as providing entertainment through regular outings, Bingo once a month and afternoon teas where Joan’s sponge became a favourite. She suspects many of the residents were more interested in seeing her sponge than they were in actually seeing her! Whenever O’Mara House had specific needs, the Ladies Auxiliary stepped in to help raise the funds. They were proud to help acquire their first bus. They also made sure each resident’s birthday was acknowledged and purchased small gifts at Christmas time. Joan says they ‘had a ball’ finding wonderful Christmas gifts. All of this was managed amidst very busy schedules; Joan herself raised nine children during this time. Over the years, Joan has seen the role of the volunteer change dramatically and the numbers dwindle, which saddens her deeply. She highly recommends volunteering because of the personal satisfaction and joy it brings in helping to acquire vital equipment and sharing time with wonderful people who value your care.
Photo courtesy of Latrobe Valley Express
Joan finally decided to retire from her role with O’Mara House but knows volunteers make an enormous difference and the benefits of their care are far-reaching. Facility
Location
Bailly House
North Melbourne
41
May Noonan Hostel
Terang
40
O’Mara House
Traralgon
64
Westmeadows
30
St Vincent de Paul Nursing Home
Box Hill
31
Vincenpaul Hostel
Mont Albert North
53
Vincentian Village
Hamlyn Heights
91
St Anne’s Hostel *
* Day Therapy Centre assists 90 clients per week
No of Beds
350
34
St Vincent de Paul Aged Care & Community Services
This time it’s personal Community Services In 2007-2008, the attention of the Federal and State Governments and the broader community focused keenly on the serious impact a lack of affordable housing is having across Australian society. After many years of strong economic growth, but little improvement in the plight of people who are homeless, we know from experience that the current downturn in the economy will hit even harder the most vulnerable and disadvantaged members of the community; the people we support. Our advocacy work continues to have a strong focus on alleviating homelessness.
Ozanam catering staff and dedicated volunteers have been very enterprising in containing costs which are a huge challenge, given the escalating costs from rising petrol prices and drought conditions. Regular support from our donor base including Caulfield Races, Brumby’s Bakery, St Vincent’s Private Hospital, Fowlers Vacola Bakery, Fruit Smart, Second Bite and One Umbrella has assisted our services tremendously.
We also witnessed the flow-on effect of people battling to meet increasingly costly daily living expenses such as food, petrol and utility costs. Staff throughout our programs continued, against the odds, to do all they could to support people, with demand for most of our services exceeding the targets set by programs that receive government funding.
Ozanam Community Centre
Ozanam House
The centre looks a great deal brighter after receiving welcome refurbishment which has improved the physical environment for both staff and service users.
Ozanam House has had a productive and challenging year. Our client group is presenting with more complex issues, with the average age of single men seeking assistance being 35. Through our Community Development program, staff work to build confidence and interpersonal skills by engaging our residents in therapeutic, recreational and educational activities. A number of residents participate regularly in our acupuncture clinic, music program, communication group, monthly bus trips and visit our computer lab and library. Highlights have included participation in the Homeless Soccer Cup training sessions and a visit to the North Melbourne Football Club rooms. Ozanam House was pleased to receive Federal Government Health and Ageing funding of $75,000 to enable Community Service staff, residents and volunteers to receive training in relation to methamphetamine (‘ice’) use, including treatment options and behaviour management techniques. The Ozanam House Volunteer Program provides us with an enormous amount of support in delivering services to our homeless residents. Over the past year, we have had 35 school groups, 113 community volunteers, six corporate groups and members of the Donvale and Ivanhoe Conferences participate in our program. We would like to thank our volunteers for their kind donations of clothing, blankets, toiletries, books and Christmas gifts.
A total of 60,695 meals were served at Ozanam House and 22,564 at Ozanam Community Centre.
This year more people than ever have been attending the lunch time meal service at the centre. Up to 150 people per day access the meal program. A warm meal often opens opportunities for the service users to make social connection and engage with other services on offer at the centre.
Receiving an Intensive Case Management Initiative Grant was welcome news. The grant will enable the centre to employ a full-time case manager for 12 months to work with some of the most marginalised people in our community. The Community Aged Care Packages program provides a unique capacity to work with highly marginalised, aged or prematurely aged people. The program supports them to remain living independently with greater quality of life even where there are challenging behaviours and histories of disengagement or exclusion from other services.
Housing Services Housing Services continue to have unprecedented levels of demand for housing assistance receiving, on average, requests for housing from over 400 households per month. The service was selected by the Department of Human Services to participate in a pilot to inform the implementation of a Homelessness Assessment and Referral framework which is now underway across the State. Housing Services is now the main access point for all homelessness assistance for the Hume and Moreland areas.
2007-2008 Annual Report
35
This time it’s personal Community Services Personal freedom Rita came to Marian Community to escape family violence. She and her four children had lived in a variety of houses, caravan parks and other inadequate housing for a number of years. With no friends or family in the area and four children under 11 years of age to manage, she was finding things very hard. We accommodated Rita in a refuge property for six weeks, providing food and clothing. During their stay, Rita and the children were visited daily by a support worker who helped them identify their needs. Support staff lodged an application for housing on Rita’s behalf and the family was housed in a brand new four bedroom Office of Housing property. Needing to pay off an existing debt, Rita was assisted by our staff to enter a debt repayment agreement enabling her to pay this off very quickly. The local Vinnies Centre provided household items and clothing for the family. A donation of $150 made to the family by a local women’s group enabled them to buy small household items. Life has really changed for Rita. She is now studying for her Learner Drivers Permit so she and the children will have more independence and mobility. The children are happily settled into a local school and are making good progress. Rita is also enrolled in a women’s recovery support group and the children now enjoy local recreational activities helping them develop links and networks with the local community. Marian Community staff will continue to support Rita and her children through their transition into this new life. The family is feeling very excited and enthusiastic about their new home and the opportunity to enjoy greater freedom.
Community Services
Photo: iStock.com
No of people assisted
•
Meals provided
93,254
•
People assisted to find housing and accommodation
•
Homeless single men accommodated at Ozanam House
528
•
Women and children assisted to escape family violence
376
•
Homeless young people supported
830
9,645
36
St Vincent de Paul Aged Care & Community Services
This time it’s personal Community Services Marian Community
Quin House
Marian Community provided refuge accommodation for 27 women and 54 children last year as well as providing outreach support to approximately 200 women. This included court support, transferring them out of the area for safety, counselling, financial assistance, material aid and linking to other specialist support services. This level of support resulted in Marian Community exceeding the target set by government funding by 25%.
Quin House currently provides accommodation for 11 men who are recovering from alcohol and drug addiction. The clients participate in a three month program of intensive case management support, individual counselling and group work. In the past financial year, Quin House accommodated 81 men.
The cases that come to this service are becoming more complex, often involving drug and alcohol as well as mental health issues. Staff are also seeing more women from non-English speaking backgrounds, sometimes here on temporary visas, which limits their capacity to break free from a violent situation.
Olive’s Place Managed by St Vincent de Paul Aged Care & Community Services since July 2007, Olive’s Place provides shortterm crisis accommodation for women fleeing domestic violence. In the last year, 83 families, made up of women with children, have received crisis accommodation and support and/or outreach support through Olive’s supported accommodation and assistance program. This service has been fortunate to receive support from the Society’s Women’s Support Group which visits weekly, bringing morning tea, flowers and conversation. Their gesture of friendship and support softens the impact of homelessness. They have also provided clothing, furniture, welcome packs, Christmas presents and other practical assistance, even lending a hand with spring cleaning. A 1300 number has been established which has increased the capacity of staff to respond to clients and partnership agencies directly and in a timely manner.
Independent Living Units We are proud of the 55 Independent Living Units offered to disadvantaged older people in Ballarat, Bendigo, Maryborough and Mildura. This has been a successful way to provide affordable housing to older, disadvantaged people in country towns within the context of their local community.
The service was successful in securing funding under the Federal Attorney-General’s Proceeds of Crime Act to develop a program to better support residents as they prepare to leave Quin House. The program will receive $734,000 over the next three years to enhance service delivery and will enable assistance to clients to maintain long-term stability and community living. The post-Quin program will provide intensive long-term support for approximately 50 clients per annum, with an average duration of support for 12 months. Quin House also recently underwent a welcome building refurbishment, thanks to $180,000 grant from the Department of Human Services.
Adult Support Services Adult Support Services provide outreach support to people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness to obtain secure and affordable housing as well as achieving independence in the community. Assistance includes case management, housing and support including case management support at Ozanam House. Adult Support Services provided 1,432 episodes of support during the year.
Youth Support Services Youth Support Services provides short to medium-term support to young people, aged 15-25, who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. The service has also been successful in receiving brokerage funding to assist young people who are homeless to access, retain and maintain private accommodation as a long-term option. The funding is for three years and will service the Northern and Western regions of Melbourne. Youth Support Services provided 263 episodes of support during the year. The Private Rental Brokerage program was recently awarded the best practice grant from the Department of Human Services.
2007-2008 Annual Report
37
This time it’s personal Community Services Just keep trying Things haven’t always been easy for Andrew. Tragedy hit when he was 17 with the deaths of his mother and twin brother. The whole family tried to cope with the grief. For Andrew, it triggered drug and alcohol use. Andrew was in and out of work during his younger years trying out a number of jobs including bar work, laboring and concreting. He moved to Melbourne from Newcastle for a fresh start but the loneliness and isolation only escalated his drug use. Over the last six years he has been in and out of Ozanam House, and back and forth from rooming and transitional housing. Sometimes it seems as if things are stacked against him. When he was living in transitional housing he was able to find a job. He loved it and was very proud. However having a job meant that he no longer qualified for his housing and Andrew didn’t help the situation by neglecting to follow-up with outreach staff to find alternative accommodation. Andrew has tried to kick his dependence on drugs but has been unable to stick with his Detox program at Quin House. He says it is easy to get caught up in the drug use again. Despite his personal struggle, Andrew contributes in his own way. He loved the cooking classes at Quin House and enjoyed cooking meals for the other residents, sometimes cooking up to five nights a week. Andrew would like to stay in Melbourne, and is trying to get in contact with some of his family so he can go back home for a visit. He still has a way to go but Andrew is not giving up. He just keeps trying. Photo: iStock.com
Homelessness in Australia •
Over 100,000 Australians are homeless
•
Between 2001 and 2006, there has been a 16.8% increase in the number of families with children recorded as homeless
•
In 2006, single persons accounted for 76% of all homeless households
•
Nearly 18,000 young people aged 12-18 are homeless
•
Youth homelessness has doubled over the past 20 years
•
Indigenous homelessness is three times the rate of other Australians
Sources: ABS (2001) Counting the Homeless, National Youth Commission (2008) Australia’s Homeless Youth, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2007) Homeless people in SAAP
38
St Vincent de Paul Aged Care & Community Services
This time it’s personal Disability Employment Service Being a disability service with a dual focus (providing disability support whilst also being a viable and sustainable commercial operation) in itself is a contradiction, but everyone at Ozanam Enterprises enjoys the challenge of finding the right balance.
Training and development
The question often asked, “Is Ozanam Enterprises a business or a disability service?” With having a dual focus there is no simple answer to that question but with the reforms that have occurred throughout the disability employment sector there has been a significant shift towards being a business.
These new skills for staff have seen an increase in the positive outcomes achieved by the people we support. In the upcoming year a further three staff will commence traineeships in Disability Studies.
Earlier this year General Manager at Ozanam Enterprises, Glenn Hodgkin saw a quote that summed up the question raised about being a business or a disability support provider. “Commercial businesses pursue a mission to make money; community services organisations make money in order to pursue a mission.”
Good turnaround Through a review of all Ozanam Enterprises’ operations a small surplus of $30,016 was recorded which compares favourably to previous years that saw deficits of $6,412 and $111,584 respectively.
Grant received Ozanam Enterprises received a grant of $40,000 from The Gandel Charitable Trust. This money will be used to build a training room where we will be able to provide workplace and independent living skills training to the people we support.
Five staff completed traineeships in Disability Studies and three completed Workplace Trainer and Assessor qualifications.
Linked hands The Linked Hands program with Padua College continues to provide valuable social roles for our supported employees and the students and teachers that partake in the activities. The last year has seen joint activities such as day tours to Scienceworks, weekends away exploring Bendigo, numeracy and literacy programs at our workplace and woodwork, drama and cooking programs at Padua’s Mornington Campus.
Looking forward The year ahead should be an exciting one for Ozanam Enterprises focusing on: • Reviewing the support provided • Unveiling a new brand and logo, and • Implementing new marketing and business plans.
Fully compliant We remained fully compliant under the increasing audit demands through the Federal Government’s Employment Assistance Program and, as Ozanam Enterprises is considered ‘a high performing service’, it was able to secure an additional four funded placements.
Ozanam Enterprises offers a range of services including:
Packaging and Assembly Services
Timber Products manufacturing
• • • • • • •
• • • • • • •
Packaging and assembly Production and sortation Sealing and shrink wrapping Bulk mail Collating and inserting Repacking and labelling Warehousing & Pick and Pack
Furniture Shopfittings Noticeboards Boxes (any shape any size) Picture frame standbacks Display cases/cabinets Stevenson Screens
2007-2008 Annual Report
39
This time it’s personal Disability Employment Service Sharing a dream Colin and Frank are two men in their 40’s who work at Ozanam Enterprises. They became friends on a day outing and have enjoyed working together ever since. Colin lived with his family while Frank lived in a supported residential service but both had a deep desire to live independently. While living on their own was not a possibility, we knew that with the right kind of support, they could live safely and happily together and would look out for each other. With the assistance of another community agency, they have found a suitable unit in Frankston which was close to transport, doctors and a shopping centre. With support, they have signed tenancy agreements and purchased furniture and other essential items. It has taken three years to find the right location and they have faced many hurdles before realising their dream. Both suffer health issues and intellectual challenges. However, they have steadily gained skills through their work at Ozanam Enterprises and enthusiastically undertaken training with other community organisations in managing their finances and cooking. One-on-one cooking lessons are provided on site at their unit, which means they learn how to cook using their own equipment safely. Frank’s confidence has blossomed. “Before I took cooking classes all I could cook was spaghetti on toast,” he declares. “Now I can cook a stir fry, meatloaf and even a roast!” Attending church is a big part of Colin’s life and we were concerned about his transition to a new place of worship. He has been warmly welcomed by the local church community and he enjoys attending regular activities there. Frank’s family is also actively involved, providing support where it is needed. They are delighted to see Frank and Colin doing so well on their own. We are very proud of their progress and we are sure these two mates will enjoy cooking up lots of fun together!
Photo: iStock.com
40
St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria Inc.
This time it’s personal Financial Statements Income Statement For the year ended 30 June 2008
Revenue Fundraising Government Grants Sale of Goods Other Revenue Changes in Value of Investment Total Revenue Other Income Net Gain on Sale of Property, Plant and Equipment Operating Expenses Cost of Sales Fundraising/Public Relations Administration Total funds available for client activities Client Services Expenses People in Need Services Aged Care Services Homelessness & Housing Services Support Services Total Expenses Surplus for the period
2008 $
2007 $
8,414,631 19,231,125 19,861,514 7,717,922 (10,607) 55,214,585
6,772,869 17,368,125 17,624,855 7,653,183 7,542 49,426,574
1,555,417
20,304
(12,406,749) (936,243) (2,805,824) (16,148,816) 40,621,186
(11,547,447) (760,733) (2,794,277) (15,102,457) 34,344,421
(8,964,095) (13,985,492) (8,936,212) (2,712,535) (34,598,334) (50,747,150) 6,022,852
(7,257,754) (13,469,512) (8,120,568) (2,225,752) (31,073,586) (46,176,043) 3,270,835
Statement by State Council In the opinion of the State Council the financial report as set out in the fully audited Financial Statements: 1. Presents a true and fair view of the financial position of the St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria Inc. as at 30 June 2008 and its performance for the year ended on that date in accordance with Accounting Standards, Urgent Issues Group Interpretations and the Associations Incorporations Act (Vic) 1981. 2. At the date of this statement, there are reasonable grounds to believe that the St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria Inc. will be able to pay its debts as and when they become due and payable. This statement is made in accordance with a resolution of the State Council, and is signed for and on behalf of the State Council by:
Jim Grealish State President
Peter Jackson Treasurer
Dated this 20th day of September 2008 Fully audited Financial Statements for the year ended 30 June 2008 are available upon request.
2007-2008 Annual Report
41
This time it’s personal Financial Statements Balance Sheet As at 30 June 2008 2008 $
2007 $
Non-current assets classified as held for sale Total Current Assets
13,514,804 1,428,283 138,684 4,027,344 514,222 19,623,337 1,200,000 20,823,337
10,101,449 1,020,939 117,782 34,520 733,184 12,007,874 12,007,874
Non-Current Assets Financial assets Property, plant and equipment Investments in controlled entities Intangibles Total Non-Current Assets
16,000,000 61,139,507 14,143,322 91,282,829
21,019,080 57,790,859 14,119,095 92,929,034
112,106,166
104,936,908
2,613,057 3,888,249 10,134,903 16,636,209
1,774,237 3,506,988 9,718,435 14,999,660
465,654 465,654
621,397 621,397
TOTAL LIABILITIES
17,101,863
15,621,057
NET ASSETS
95,004,303
89,315,851
Equity Contributed equity Reserves Retained earnings Total parent entity interest
100 33,430,326 61,573,877 95,004,303
35,727,327 53,588,524 89,315,851
TOTAL EQUITY
95,004,303
89,315,851
Current Assets Cash and cash equivalents Trade and other receivables Inventories Financial assets Other assets
TOTAL ASSETS Current Liabilities Trade and other payables Provisions Other liabilities Total Current Liabilities Non-Current Liabilities Provisions Total Non-Current Liabilities
42
St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria Inc.
This time it’s personal Thank you Thank you to all the individuals, churches, community groups, corporations, trusts and volunteers who support the St Vincent de Paul Society each year. Your support is invaluable and makes a significant difference to the people we assist. The St Vincent de Paul Society relies heavily on the generosity of the wider community to support vital programs and services for people in need. Thank you to all the thousands of individual donors who have given generously over the past 12 months. The Society recognises that people give in a variety of ways: some give their time, their skills, their prayers, gifts in-kind, whilst others give financially. We are very grateful to all who support the Society. Trusts and Foundations Amelia Eliza Holland Trust Australian School Canteen Association Bell Charitable Fund Campbell Edwards Trust F & J Ryan Foundation Fred P Archer Charitable Trust Geelong Community Foundation George Perry Fund Giuseppe & Angela Macri Foundation Hart Charities Pty Ltd Helen Macpherson Smith Trust Howard Glover Trust IOOF Foundation Limited Isobel Hill Brown Charitable Trust John William Fleming Trust Kimberley Foundation Kwok Family Charitable Trust Lord Mayor’s Charitable Fund Lynne Quayle Charitable Trust McGrath Family Foundation Percy Baxter Charitable Trust The Andrews Foundation The Danks Trust The Dawn Wade Foundation The Honda Foundation The Marian & E H Flack Trust The Michael & Andrew Buxton Foundation The R E Ross Trust The Scobie & Claire Mackinnon Trust The Shane Warne Foundation The William Angliss (Victoria) Charitable Fund W & G Bradshaw Foundation Trust
Business and Government AGL Belmore Park Pty Ltd Bill Lang International Blake Dawson Waldron Lawyers Castricum Brothers Cistercian Monks Cosman Nominees Pty Ltd Essential Imports International Pty Ltd Esso Australia Fletcher Jones Australia Support Ford Motor Company of Australia Ltd G & S Mart Pty Ltd Gold World Trading Pty Ltd Hume Employment Service Ltd Hydro Flow Pty Ltd IBM Australia Ltd Infineum Australia Pty Ltd Kripa Nominees Pty Ltd Magistrates’ Court of Victoria Broadmeadows Magistrates’ Court of Victoria Shepparton Mallee Family Care Inc. Malvest Pty Ltd Metricon Homes McDonalds Restaurants Moorabbin Investments NHP Electrical Engineering Products Pty Ltd Norske Skog (Australia) Pty Ltd Old England Hotel Optimum Recruitment OrganizerSoft Pty Ltd P & M Harbig (Holdings) Pty Ltd Pescatore Constructions Plant and Tree Market Providence Pty Ltd
Reece Australia Ltd Robert Stary & Associates Sarah Cockell Consulting Solutions Group Sullivan Braham Pty Ltd Victoria Police Victorian Mortgage Management Group W F Panther Pty Ltd Washers & Stamped Components Australia Pty Ltd Yarra Yarra Properties Pty Ltd School and Community Groups Aquinas College CBA Staff Social & Charity Club (Victoria) Inc Collingwood & Abbotsford Residents’ Association Inc. Country Women’s Association of Victoria Diocese of Sale Emmaus College John Paul College Kilbreda College Lions Club of Diggers Rest Lions Club of Hamlyn Heights Lions Club of Sunbury Hume Lions Club of Warragul Lions Club of Wodonga Mallee Accommodation & Support Program Mercy Diocesan College Nexus Club of Terang Nottinghill Table Tennis Club Our Lady of Help Of Christians Narre Warren Parish Our Lady of Sion Province Padua College
Redemptorist Community Rotary Club of Broadmeadows Sacred Heart Girls’ College - Oakleigh Saint Carlo Borromeo School St Anthony’s Parish House St Bernard’s Parish St John’s Regional College St Lawrence’s Parish YCW Co-operative Society Limited In-kind Donations 3AW Astor Theatre Australian Country Spinners Australian Education Industry Centre Billy’s Bakehouse Brumby’s Bakery Caulfield Races CGU Insurance Coca-Cola Amatil – Moorabbin Colin Wise Furniture Commonwealth Bank Staff Social & Charity Club Corangamite Shire Country Women’s Association – Terang Djerriwarrah Employment and Education DLA Phillips Fox Doncare Edible Artistry Fairfax Community Newspapers Firemans Bakery Fowler Vocola Bakery Fruit Smart Good Shepherd Parish, Wheelers Hill Goulburn Valley Quilters Goulburn Valley Woodturners
Jones Lang LaSalle Kmart Leader Newspapers Lions Club of Northcote Minter Ellison Mooroopna Anglican Ladies Mooroopna Bakery MySpace.com National Australia Bank Nova 100 One Umbrella Patterson Cheney Ringwood Ray’s Tent City – Geelong Rivers Clothing Rockit Advertising Rossdale Golf Club Royal Women’s Hospital Russell Investments Schools Canteen Education Foundation of Australia Second Bite Siena College Sleepy’s Snooze Shepparton St Augustine’s Primary School, Keilor St Francis Church Community, Melbourne St Louis Bed Team, Aspendale St Vincent’s Private Hospital Sunbeam Telechoice Terang & District Nexus Service Club The Age The Alfred staff The European University High School VicRelief/Foodbank
Media Special thanks to all Victorian media outlets (newspapers, radio stations and television stations) for promoting the Society’s appeal advertisements free of charge.
Bequests The St Vincent de Paul Society has been most grateful to receive a number of generous bequests in the last 12 months. This thoughtful provision for the future needs of the Society and those we serve is much appreciated. Over the next two years all non-specified bequests will be placed in the St Vincent de Paul Victoria Endowment Fund. This will ensure that all bequests are preserved for the future needs of the Society.
Acknowledgements Design
Photography
Writer
Printing
Campbell Design Group 03 9534 1011
Peter Casamento 0419 104 244 Georgia Metaxas 0411 047 858
Sheridan Morris, Read & Said 0419 547 810
Doran Printing 03 9587 4333
Special thanks to the members, volunteers, clients, residents and staff associated with the St Vincent de Paul Society and St Vincent de Paul Aged Care & Community Services whose photographs feature throughout this Annual Report. While the case studies presented in the Annual Report are real stories, we have changed names and photographs to protect their privacy.
The Society
ST VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY VICTORIA INC. Central Councils Regions
The St Vincent de Paul Society is an international organisation that operates in 130 countries and has over 950,000 members worldwide. Established by Frederic Ozanam in France 1833, the St Vincent de Paul Society was founded in Australia by Fr Gerald Ward at St Francis’ Church in Melbourne on 5 March 1854. The St Vincent de Paul Society in Victoria has over 7,000 members and volunteers providing assistance to more than 660,000 people through its two arms: St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria Inc. and St Vincent de Paul Aged Care & Community Services.
All programs, services and facilities for both arms of the Society operate within the seven Central Council areas.
Conferences College conferences
7 34
Members
3,625
Auxiliary members
1,112
This time it’s personal
305 48
Vinnies Centres
97
Beginnings ST VINCENT DE PAUL AGED CARE & COMMUNITY SERVICES The inspiration and foresight of three people have been instrumental in the establishment and work of the St Vincent de Paul Society. In Victoria, the Society is over 150 years old and provides assistance to more than 660,000 people through the work of over 7,000 members and volunteers.
Aged Care Services Hostels Nursing Home Day Therapy Centre
We pay tribute to our patron and founders and continue to be inspired by their teachings and the example of their lives. NORTH WESTERN CENTRAL COUNCIL
Community Services NORTH EASTERN CENTRAL COUNCIL
Adult Support Services Housing Services Independent Living Units Marian Community Olive’s Place Ozanam Community Centre Ozanam House Quin House Youth Support Services
St Vincent de Paul
Bl Frederic Ozanam
Fr Gerald Ward
Patron
Founder
Australian Founder
Vincent de Paul was born in the small southern French town of Pouy (later renamed St Vincent de Paul in his honour) on 24 April 1581 and ordained as a priest in 1600 at the age of 19.
WESTERN CENTRAL COUNCIL NORTHERN CENTRAL COUNCIL EASTERN CENTRAL COUNCIL SOUTHERN CENTRAL COUNCIL GIPPSLAND CENTRAL COUNCIL
As a young man he ministered to the wealthy and powerful. However an appointment as chaplain to a poor parish, and to galley prisoners, inspired him to a vocation of working with those most marginalised and powerless.
Disability Employment Service Ozanam Enterprises
St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria Inc.
St Vincent de Paul Aged Care & Community Services
The St Vincent de Paul Society’s members and volunteers provide practical support, advocacy and friendship to the most vulnerable in our community through local groups, known as conferences, as well as our Vinnies Centres and Soup Vans. The Society also provides assistance to migrants and refugees seeking to rebuild their lives in a new country as well as supporting individuals and communities in developing countries. The St Vincent de Paul Society provides assistance to approximately 540,000 people in need each year within their local communities.
St Vincent de Paul Aged Care & Community Services manage professional welfare services focusing on aged care, homelessness and supported employment for people with a disability. The services are largely government funded but also raise funds through donations from individuals and philanthropic trusts in order to provide additional support over and above the government funded level. With approximately 550 employees and supported by volunteers, St Vincent de Paul Aged Care & Community Services assists over 120,000 people each year.
Conferences
Vinnies Centres
Soup Vans
Aged Care Services
Community Services
Disability Employment Service
Conferences respond to calls from people in need within their local communities and provide assistance with food, material aid, budget and utility bill advice, advocacy issues as well as a hand of friendship. They also provide a range of initiatives that address specific needs of the people they assist. Young adult conferences and college conferences involve younger members and provide a range of volunteer work in the community, including tutoring and organising Kids Camps for disadvantaged children.
Vinnies Centres provide quality clothing, furniture and household items to people in need. Stocks are available free of charge to people being supported by conference members, as well as to the general public at a low cost. Profits from the sale of stock in the centres assists in providing resources and support to people in need.
The Society’s four soup van services are based in Collingwood, Fitzroy, Footscray and Moe. Staffed by volunteers, the vans travel the streets of metropolitan Melbourne and Moe bringing food and friendship to thousands of people living in boarding houses, low-rise/high-rise flats, refuges and on the streets.
Elderly citizens are provided with care and accommodation through our aged care facilities located in Box Hill, Hamlyn Heights, Mont Albert North, North Melbourne, Traralgon, Terang and Westmeadows. These facilities include a nursing home for residents with high-care needs, hostels for residents with low-care needs and a day therapy centre.
A range of accommodation and support initiatives are provided to people experiencing homelessness or requiring help with issues such as general health concerns, drug and alcohol abuse, employment education and training options as well as social exclusion and isolation. Support services and temporary accommodation are also available for women and children escaping family violence.
Located in Mornington, Ozanam Enterprises is a supported employment service providing employment and training opportunities for people with a disability through meaningful work and vocational skill development.
Vincent urged his followers to bring God’s justice and love to people who were unable to live a full human life: “Deal with the most urgent needs. Organise charity so that it is more efficient…teach reading and writing, educate with the aim of giving each the means of self-support. Intervene with authorities to obtain reforms in structure… there is no charity without justice.” Vincent de Paul died in Paris on 27 September 1660 at the age of 79. He was canonised on 16 June 1737 and, in 1883, the Church designated him as the special patron of all charitable associations. The Society was named after St Vincent de Paul and follows his teachings and compassion for people in need. St Vincent de Paul is the international patron of the Society.
Frederic Ozanam was born in French occupied Milan on 23 April 1813. He was the fifth of fourteen children. In Paris at the age of just 20, Frederic established the St Vincent de Paul Society. At this time, the people of France were experiencing tremendous political and social upheaval: changes of government, the Industrial Revolution and unjust employment practices. Ozanam gathered some colleagues and began to respond in practical ways to the poverty and hardship he saw in the lives of people around him. They visited people in their homes and offered friendship and support. This practice, known today as ‘home visitation’, remains a core activity for St Vincent de Paul Society members and volunteers. The group formed by Ozanam and his friends later became known as the first ‘conference’ of the St Vincent de Paul Society. They met together regularly as a group for prayer and mutual support, to learn and to share ideas about how they could best assist others. Frederic Ozanam died on 8 September 1853 at the age of 40. He was beatified in Paris by Pope John Paul II on 22 August 1997.
Gerald Ward was born in London 1806 and arrived in Australia on 7 September 1850 after being recruited to work in the Melbourne mission by the pioneer priest Fr Patrick Geoghegan. The first conference of the St Vincent de Paul Society in Australia met in Melbourne at St Francis’ Church on 5 March 1854. The first president was Fr Gerald Ward. With the discovery of gold in 1851 and the rush to the goldfields of central Victoria, the population doubled and homeless, deserted children roamed the streets. Fr Ward and the new St Vincent de Paul conference responded to this acute problem by establishing the St Vincent de Paul orphanage in South Melbourne. The foundation stone was laid in 1855 and the first children were accepted in 1857. In 1855, in a submission to the government of the day, Fr Ward stated that the new conference aimed at “the relief of the destitute, in a manner as much as possible permanently beneficial and the visitation of poor families.” Gerald Ward died on 14 January 1858 aged 52. A newspaper noted that “he was one in whom many a widow and orphan had found a good friend.” His enduring legacy is founded in such friendship.
This time it’s personal
This time it’s personal 2007-2008 Annual Report
Conferences at Work St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria Inc. Source of referral of people assisted
68.43% 5.40% 1.79% 3.57% 20.81%
How you can help You can help the St Vincent de Paul Society help others by: Volunteering your time If you are interested in becoming a member of a conference or volunteering your time to assist people in your community through any of the Society’s services. Call 1300 736 933
Source of income of people assisted 2.59% 0.54% 4.92% 28.49% 22.92% 32.09% 3.13% 1.49% 1.60% 2.23%
Previous caller Government department Non-government agencies Church or similar Self-referral/friend
Salary & wages WorkCover Aged pension Sole parent payment Newstart/unemployment benefits Sickness/disability Other government No income Youth/study allowance Other/not determined
Analysis of the material assistance given by conferences
This time it’s personal
3.47% 1.56% 43.76% 12.83% 4.04% 1.69% 6.05% 3.96% 4.17% 17.44% 1.03%
St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria Inc. Locked Bag 4800, Box Hill Vic 3128 43 Prospect Street, Box Hill Vic 3128 Phone: 03 9895 5800 Fax: 03 9895 5850 Email: info@svdp-vic.org.au
Accommodation Cash Food vouchers/gift cards Food purchases Transport Whitegoods Utilities bills Education Other Donated food Prescriptions/medicine
Conference statistics for 2007 – 2008
ABN: 28 911 702 061
Making a bequest
RN: A0042727Y
Cases where material assistance given
Adults assisted
Children assisted
Conference bread runs (or food runs)
Households assisted by bread runs
$ value of assistance provided
Visits not involving material assistance
Conferences
Members
Auxiliary members
Eastern Central Council
25,328
32,189
20,733
2,341
8,963
$1,512,922
1,679
65
730
225
Northern Central Council
6,644
8,965
7,843
257
548
$396,261
257
33
294
25
Southern Central Council
21,186
29,035
26,376
860
4,035
$1,563,827
3,331
49
771
235
Western Central Council
20,967
27,986
25,079
1,355
6,417
$1,040,124
1,436
59
608
237
Gippsland Central Council
10,697
14,431
12,787
2,639
3,361
$824,370
2,547
18
270
109
ABN: 530 9480 7280
North Eastern Central Council
26,135
33,692
30,244
3,463
2,969
$1,930,401
6,431
38
503
157
ACN: 094 807 280
North Western Central Council
12,517
17,120
15,057
3,525
17,125
$974,170
8,136
43
476
124
123,474
163,418
138,119
14,440
43,418
$8,242,075
23,817
305
3,652
1,112
Consider remembering the St Vincent de Paul Society in your Will. The Society is able to assist thousands of people because of the generosity of those who have remembered us in their Will. For an information booklet or to speak to our Bequest Officer.
St Vincent de Paul Aged Care & Community Services
Call 03 9895 5800
Locked Bag 4700, Box Hill Vic 3128 43 Prospect Street, Box Hill Vic 3128
Making a financial donation
Phone: 03 9895 5900 Fax: 03 9895 5950 Email: accs@svdp-vic.org.au
Credit card donations can be made by visiting our website or calling the donation hotline. All donations of $2 or more are tax deductible. Online www.vinnies.org.au/vic or call 13 18 12
Donating goods Donations of quality clothing, furniture and household goods can be made to any Vinnies Centre. Call 1800 621 349
www.vinnies.org.au/vic