St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria Inc.
Newsletter 236 April May 2008
A PUBLICATION FOR SOCIETY MEMBERS, VOLUNTEERS AND S TA F F
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Cross & Icon comes to Melbourne S
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The Cross & Icon arrive at ACU Central Hall in Fitzroy
As part of the extensive journey of World Youth Day’s Cross and Icon, members of the St Vincent de Paul Society were recently privileged to encounter these powerful and moving symbols of our faith. Members of the Vinnies pilgrimage group to Sydney carried the Cross and Icon into the ACU Central Hall in Fitzroy. It was followed by a “Way of the Cross” reminding us of Christ's sacrifice and love for all. The event
opened with testimonies from Society members and the impact the Cross and Icon have had upon those who have encountered them during their journey around Australia. The event also allowed an opportunity for all to individually venerate the Cross, providing an intimate time of reflection and prayer. Many who encountered the Cross and Icon were visibly affected by the experience. Members of Vinnies Youth in Casey, Susan
Serey and Angela Matthys, played reflective music, including a song written by them entitled "Reach Out". The evening concluded with the WYD theme song. This special evening provided powerful inspiration to pilgrims and all Vincentian members.We thank all those who worked to create this special event. David Anderson Vinnies Youth - Outer East & WYD Pilgrim Leader
WYD | Upcoming Events T h u r s d a y Ozanam Lecture, 3pm
“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses.” (Acts 1:8)
The eleventh Ozanam Lecture will be held at the Melbourne Town Hall. The lecture will be delivered by Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez and responded to Christine Boyle Tickets are limited, so order by Friday 6 June 2008
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Vinnies Youth Concert, 5pm The St Vincent de Paul Society’s Vinnies Youth Concert will be held at Federation Square. This free concert will feature a great line-up of Australian bands and will highlight the good works of the Society in Victoria. Dress warmly it’s a Melbourne winter!
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State President ’s Update BY TONY TOME (ACTING) Dear Fellow Vincentians, Volunteers and Supporters Winter Appeal planning is being finalised using photographs taken across Australia by clients of the St Vincent de Paul Society using 100 disposable cameras. This year the theme is "This time it’s personal". The photographs represent real life situations of the people we assist and the Society's personal approach to helping people in need. Victoria will use some of these photographs for an exhibition at the official launch of the Winter Appeal. Mass for the Poor will be held on the weekend celebrating the Feast of the Sacred Heart, 30 May-1 June 2008. I urge you to fully support both of these appeals. National Volunteer Week will be celebrated from 12-18 May 2008. One of the purposes of National Volunteer Week is to acknowledge the enormous contribution made by volunteers in many different organisations across the country. When we think of all our members and volunteers in Conferences and Centres throughout Victoria and Australia, we realise that the Society would have to be one of the largest volunteer organisations. A fact most probably not known to many people because we go about our business in an unassuming way. Our intention is to lift our profile and inform Governments of the scope of our work and the magnificent contribution made by Society members and volunteers to alleviate the plight of the poor, the marginalised and disadvantaged. National Volunteer Week also provides a focus for us to recruit new members and volunteers as well as promoting the value of volunteering to the community. The week gives us a fantastic opportunity to highlight the benefits of being a member or volunteering within the Society. A reminder to any Conferences or Regions providing cash as an alternative to using gift cards...this is not permitted. This is a decision of State Council as well as the Finance Committee, Chief Financial Officer, and the Internal Auditor and is binding on all Conferences, Regions and Councils. Telstra Vouchers expire on 30 June 2008. The value of what we use this year determines the amount we receive the next year. If you are unable to use all the vouchers allocated to you please pass them back to your Regional Council so that they can be used elsewhere. Police checks have now been in place for three years, so it is time for them to be renewed. We will systematically work through this process and individual conferences will be sent new forms in due course. May God carry you all in the palm of His hand. Tony Tome Acting State President
Prayers are requested for... Deceased Members Laura Clark Frank Edey James McCart Bill McLennan Jim Peart Max Wimmer
Maffra Conference Warrnambool Conference (St Gerard’s) Past President, Belgrave Conference Kensington Conference Queenscliff Conference Montmorency Conference
Deceased Centre Volunteers, Family and Friends Aileen Feldt Widow of Bill, Camberwell East Conference Kevin LeFevre Hampton Centre Mary Lubeck Seymour Centre Colin Mahoney Father of Mary Phillips, Box Hill Call Centre To ensure correct acknowledgement please forward any requests for prayers to Philip Mackey by phone on 03 9895 5837 or email philipm@svdp-vic.org.au.
Elizabeth Bond Archives The Elizabeth Bond Archives are now open every Thursday between 11am and 3pm to the Society’s membership, general public and researchers. The archives are located at: Level 3, 335 Flinders Lane Melbourne Phone 03 9620 5835
2008 Vincentian Retreats Has your conference/region made a time to rest and recharge this year? For information on Retreats in the Vincentian spirit: z Walking with Ozanam z Praying with Ozanam z Building the Kingdom the Reign of God Call Gordon Carter at Gerald Ward House on 03 9895 5836.
Golf Day Success The St Vincent de Paul Society’s fourth Annual Golf Day was held on Sunday 13th April at the Sandringham Golf Course. This year there were 44 participants and the Ambrose Handicapping System was used. Great prizes were on offer and the Catholic Development Fund once again was our major sponsor donating $500 to the event. A great day was had by all who took part in the 18 rounds of golf, followed by a barbeque and award presentation. The winning team was made up of Brian Smith, President of the Corryong Conference, John Smith, Graeme Wickenden and Mario Mirabile. Anyone interested in participating in the 2009 St Vincent de Paul Society’s Golf Day should contact Paula Salemme on 03 9895 5815 to register their interest.
U P D AT E DANCING UP A STORM IN SUNBURY
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Thank you Parkville... This is a letter to all the staff of the Parkville Conference. I have been meaning to thank you in writing for years and now for the first time I've really had a chance to do it with my two little girls in bed and little to no pain tonight.
The Sunbury Conference of the St Vincent de Paul Society recently held an Old Time Irish Dance to raise funds for the Victorian farmers drought relief fund. An amount of $1,000 was raised and donated to the cause. Pictured above, members and friends dance the night away. Pictured left are Roland Rocha (Secretary/Treasurer), John McGovern (President) and Marcia Schwegler (Central Highlands President).
I am a mother with chronic pain living in public housing with my husband and children. I am receiving the disability pension and my husband carers payment along side family tax payments for my girls, all sound good to the ear but it's really not so much. I know that you the Vinnies know that. I've always wanted to express my appreciation for your help over the past few years especially at Christmas time when everyone is in the spirit of giving but have not been able to afford a box of chocolates or a bunch of flowers for you all. I really want you all to know that I truly appreciate your kindness and generosity. The volunteers are so kind, understanding and considerate. As embarrassed as I get to have to call for help. I have never ever felt belittled or less worthy thanks to the Parkville Conference volunteers. I could easily say that they are many of the handful of kind hearted people of have met in my life. So please please pass my message on to them, I get a bit embarrassed and can't say "Thankyou" like I want to. S Kaplan Carlton North
Let us know... Society members and volunteers may have noticed this attractive bequest advertisement (pictured above) appearing in The Age, Leader newspapers or Fairfax community papers such as the Melbourne Weekly. We have been delighted to receive a number of free placements for this advertisement over the last few months. This support from publishers is greatly appreciated.
So many things are constantly happening throughout the organisation and we would like to share the wonderful work being done by our members, volunteers and staff. So tell us about: To assist us, email is the best! Send articles and/or photos to:
dianneb@svdp-vic.org.au
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W E L C O M E Debra Ward
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Patricia McCourt
Debra is the new General Manager Finance. Debra comes from a commercial accounting background and has been with the Society for four and a half years. Prior to becoming the General Manager Finance, Debra was the Finance Manager for St Vincent de Paul Aged Care & Community Services and has therefore obtained most of her experience in the Aged Care and Community Services areas. She is really looking forward to the prospect of learning more about the Society’s entire structure and ensuring all areas of the Finance department are streamlined and focused on servicing our internal clients. Debra is also looking forward to creating a strong Finance team that work closely with the other departments, and ensuring that all financial decisions are based on accurate and timely financial information. Debra’s family, husband Gary, two children Georgina and Harry, Jazz the cat and new addition, Bella the Beagle, are very supportive of this new challenge but still demand dinner on the table!
Patricia is the new Manager Membership & Development. Patricia, her husband and four children, (aged between 20 and 16), emigrated from Ireland in May 2005. The move has been a challenge, filled with both tears and laughter. The children have embraced all things Aussie but still retain their Irishness - apparently an Irish accent is a great asset on the Aussie social scene! The family have recently taken the next step in their journey and have become Australian citizens. Patricia has had extensive management experience in both education and not-for-profit community organisations, most recently acting as Client Services & Delivery Manager with a Melbourne based, NFP educational provider. Prior to emigration, Patricia was a member of her local conference and is thrilled to join and serve an organisation which espouses principles and an ethos which closely reflect her own personal and family values. Patricia says she is looking forward to becoming involved with the great work of the Society and, ably assisted by the Membership and Development team, continue to provide excellent service to our members and volunteers.
A L L . . . Ann Tan
Ann is the new Manager Compeer. Ann joined the Compeer Program in January 2005 as the Coordinator to screen, train, supervise and support volunteers; to liaise with referring mental health professionals and to ensure sound professional practices for the program. She is a social worker and registered mental health practitioner with extensive experience across a range of services from child through to adult services. Ann also spent several years teaching a range of clinical practice skills at several universities in South Australia and Victoria. Throughout her career, Ann has always been interested in how theory actually works in grass roots practice. She has been especially interested in mental and emotional wellbeing and development. Out of this interest, she completed her PhD (La Trobe University), developing a new approach to understanding emotion which can result in effective and compassionate practices. As Manager of Compeer, Ann hopes to contribute to the development of the Society’s innovative and successful mental health support program.
LOVE AND POLITICS
Farewell dear Friends
The Revolutionary Frederic Ozanam
Recently the Society has seen the resignations of three senior managers: z Graeme Wickenden General Manager Finance z Frances Warren Manager Membership & Development z Geoff Brown Manager Compeer We take this opportunity to wish Graeme, Frances and Geoff every success in their future endeavours.
ORDER YOUR COPY NOW Copies of Dr John Honner’s “Love and Politics: The Revolutionary Frederic Ozanam” are available from the Society. Cost: $10 (Members) $18.95 (non-Members) Postage: 1-2 books - $4.50 3-5 books - $7.50 5 or more - POA Contact Pauline Cooper on 03 9895 5800 for more details and/or an order form.
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WYD | HELPING PILGRIMS RUG UP FOR WINTER Brendan Podbury (pictured) from the Membership & Development team displays an array of scarves knitted for visiting pilgrims.
Ed. This is one of the rare occasions when I wish you could see this particular photo in colour...the scarves Brendan has draped around himself are bright pink and red colour combo!
WINTER APPEAL | THIS TIME It is with great pleasure that we introduce you to the 2008 Winter Appeal - 'This time it's personal'. This year we have taken an innovative approach to the appeal. It is a very raw and honest campaign. To understand what it must be like to feed your children or nurse an unemployed partner through depression, this year we sent out over 100 disposable cameras to some of the people that are helped in our work. We asked them to give us a snapshot of their lives. Instead of the Society appealing for your help, this year, through the use of powerful and real life images, it will be the people assisted by the Society that will be making the appeal. Please give through Vinnies and help the thousands of people living in crisis that are assisted by the Society each day.
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World Youth Day is quickly approaching and it is anticipated that 125,000 international pilgrims will journey to Sydney and Melbourne specially to be part of the scheduled events. In July, pilgrims from all over the world will attend World Youth Day in Sydney and, before that, the Bathurst FamVin Celebration. As these events are scheduled during our Winter, it was thought a helping hand was definitely needed. The call went out to all knitters who could spare the time and materials to knit scarves and beanies for visiting pilgrims, many of whom will be visiting from Pacific countries. FamVin is endeavoring to have volunteers knit 750 scarves and 750 beanies to assist in keeping the pilgrims warm while they are here. Vincentians in Victoria have also heeded the call and we are pleased to report that bundles of scarves have been knitted. Brendan Podbury (pictured left) from the Membership & Development team displays an array of scarves knitted for visiting pilgrims.
Open houses | Open hearts The Margaret Oats Soup Van welcomed funding received from a new source, when the Collingwood and Abbotsford Residents’ Association (CARA) approached the St Vincent de Paul Society with a unique idea.
Mass for the Poor With the blessing and support of the Archbishop of Melbourne, the Most Rev. Denis Hart, and each of the Diocesan Bishops, Mass for the Poor will be held during the Feast of the Sacred Heart on the weekend of Friday 30 May Sunday 1 June 2008. Promotional material has been forwarded but if you need more posters or parish envelopes, please call us on 03 9895 5800. Donations to the Winter Appeal can be made online at www.vinnies.org.au/vic or call 13 18 12
CARA offered its local residents the opportunity to discover historic Abbotsford through a series of open houses. Two hundred self-guided tourists enjoyed a day exploring five of Abbotsford's most extraordinary homes, including a very special riverfront house complete with original stables; a unique and contemporary warehouse conversion; and "The Village Belle" - once a corner hotel and now home to a family of four people, two cats and a wine collection (in the original cellar). Proceeds from ticket sales will be distributed to the Society’s Margaret Oats Soup Van and the Collingwood Children’s Farm, and amounts to a donation of $2,000 for each organisation. This is indeed welcome support for the soup van, whose services are even more in demand during the cold winter nights.
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Vincentian Village offers world-first in Aged Care After 35 years of providing aged care services to Geelong residents, St Vincent de Paul Aged Care & Community Service has begun a new era with the construction of a worldclass innovative aged care complex, named “Vincentian Village�. Vincentian Village promises an improved level of comfort and living standard for residents with its 91-rooms, the majority of which have single ensuite facilities.
Vincentian Village taking shape
With three residential and a central administrative wing, care has been taken to ensure that residents feel at home and have easy access to the living rooms, gardens and courtyard. General Manager Aged Care Services, Claire Schmierer is enthusiastic about Vincentian Village, indicating that the administration of the village will offer residents a progressive model of care, the Chronic Diseases SelfManagement model, which will enhance the lives of all our residents.
Building costs for the $14 million project have been provided by St Vincent de Paul Aged Care & Community Services. Several generous donors have provided funding for the landscaping, furniture and fittings, including worldclass electric beds which offer independence to the frail elderly, and provide therapeutic relief through touch-button elevation of the bed, as required. Innovative sensory gardens were planned to make use of the latest knowledge about dementia and the alleviation thereof through landscaping techniques. These gardens have been planned to engage the elderly and those at risk of or suffering from dementia, to ensure that residents can enjoy the meandering paths through the gardens within a safe and contained environment.
Currently housed in Rosalie and Vincentian Houses, the residents look forward to enjoying a purpose-built facility, St Vincent de Paul Aged Care Services look forward to designed by architects Woodhead International, renowned opening the world-class Vincentian Village in mid-2008, for their work in aged care design. both as a new home to our 91 residents and as a global showcase of an environmentally sustainable design and The new facility incorporates numerous environmentally an innovative aged care model of management. sustainable initiatives, including grey water harvesting to supply garden, toilet and laundry needs; water-wise landscaping; low energy-use appliances; and thermal massing techniques to help maintain a comfortable internal temperature for the residents.
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We extend a sincere thanks to all donors and supporters of the Hamlyn Heights Appeal, your assistance has been instrumental in this redevelopment. We also thank the Geelong community for their support and commitment.
O’MARA
Last year The Andrews Foundation kindly donated $25,000 towards a replacement bus for O'Mara House in Traralgon. The new 12-seater bus has made a huge difference to the lives of the residents. Enabling more residents to participate in activities outside of the aged care facility including twice weekly shopping trips, outings to the Sale Bowling Club, the beach and local concerts. Outings are now so popular that not only is the bus full but there is usually also a waiting list of other residents who would also like to participate. Sincere thanks are extended to The Andrews Foundation for their support.
Pictured (ltor): Marilyn Gallop, Mary Stoddart, Mary McCrohan, Avis Hughes and Fred Van Der Meiracker.
U P D AT E Vinnies Centres Vinnies Centres has recently implemented a restructure within its zones and administration. There are now seven zone areas / Zone Managers (down from nine) addressing the operational management needs of the 98 Vinnies Centres in metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria. Two new positions have also been created to assist in business and service development for centres, they are: Business Development Manager Paul Goggin has been appointed to this position and will be responsible for: New Centres, Leases, EBay, Collectibles, Marketing, Vinnies Label, Corporate Donations and Waste Contracts. Service Development Manager Neil Harvey has been appointed to this position and will be responsible for Point of Sale, Technology, Procedures, Customer Services, Training, OH&S and Security. We wish both Paul and Neil every success with their new roles within Vinnies Centres.
New Vinnies Centre The following centre will be opening soon: z
Geelong CBD 164 Moorabool St Geelong 3220
National Volunteer Week 12–18 May 2008 Thank you one and all. Your tireless efforts and generosity of time is greatly appreciated by all at the St Vincent de Paul Society and everyone you assist.
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You’ll love what you find! An extensive advertising campaign for Vinnies Centres has been created and was promoted in metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria from 14 April 2008. The advertising campaign also includes support from four metropolitan radio stations. The key messages are to: z
"Bring in your good stuff" Promoting the donation of goods to Vinnies Centres
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"You'll love what you find" Promoting the sale of goods through Vinnies Centres, and
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“Something for everyone” Promoting the wide range of clothing, furniture and household items available at the centres.
Support material for this campaign includes A2 and A4 posters for prominent display at all Vinnies Centres either on the windows or on noticeboards. We have been extremely fortunate to receive support from Nova 100.3 FM who have provided extensive sponsorship through the Nova Nights show with Johnny and Jodie. This sponsorship includes regular radio announcements, live crossings, instore competitions with the Casanova promotions team, interviews and personality endorsements. In addition, Nova have included our campaign on their website, with a clickthrough to www.vinnies.org.au/vic. The Nova campaign is a first-ever created for Vinnies Centres, and we look forward to seeing fantastic results. We also take this opportunity to thank all who have supported the Vinnies Centres promotion. This includes all centre volunteers and staff as well as our now famous Vinnies models, Mark, Stratton, Rochelle, Amy and Rohan.
To find your nearest Vinnies Centre visit www.vinnies.org.au/vic
U P D AT E S t A n n e ’ s - G a r d e n M a k e o v e r Calendar Dates z
Winter Appeal
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12 May-31 July 2008 Mass for the Poor
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Feast of the Sacred Heart Friday 30 May to Sunday 1 June 2008 World Youth Day celebrations in Melbourne Ozanam Lecture Thursday 10 July 2008, 3pm Melbourne Town Hall Vinnies Youth Concert Thursday 10 July 2008, 5pm Federation Square
Membership Info & Training Pictured (ltor): Elizabeth Paton and Patricia Bremner are two residents enjoying the new garden
On Sunday 20 April 2008, a small team of staff from the St Anne's Hostel and family of residents worked extremely hard to give the gardens a make over. The gardens had been affected by drought and become quite overgrown. Quotes from professional gardeners had been obtained to do the task but their prices were outside affordability.
donation of trees and plants, while Mitre10 donated plants and tools. During the scheduled working bee, three dead trees were removed, trees overhanging footpaths were pruned, all hedges were pruned, and lots of new planting took place. The working bee ended with a BBQ lunch provided by the facility.
My thanks to all those who gave the So, we went to Plan B…do it ourselves. most precious of gifts - their time. We wrote to eight garden suppliers and The gardens now look fantastic and my nurseries in the area asking for only hope is that it rains soon to give it donations and received four metres of all a good chance of growing. tanbark/mulch, which helped finish the look. Hume City Council was also Kathy Rieusset helpful by putting us in touch with Brite Manager Plants who gave us a generous St Anne's Hostel
Regions and conferences requiring resource material should contact the Membership & Development team on 03 9895 5837. Training sessions on a variety of topics are held regularly by the Membership & Development team. For more information or a brochure call them on 03 9895 5837.
Annual Report The 2006-2007 Annual Report and Financial Report are available. We recommend that the Annual Report be distributed widely through your local networks and within your community. Copies of the report are available for pick up, please contact us on 03 9895 5800 to arrange.
Va l e A r c h b i s h o p F r a n k L i t t l e
Contributions to Societynews are always welcome.
Sadly on Monday 7 April 2008, former Archbishop of Melbourne, and friend of the St Vincent de Paul Society, Sir Frank Little died peacefully in his sleep.
Email to: dianneb@svdp-vic.org.au or send to:
Melbourne's Catholic Archbishop Denis Hart said, “Archbishop Little's death would be felt deeply by many in Melbourne. He will be fondly remembered as a dedicated caring leader of the church for 22 years. His sincere pastoral style and concern for his people was admired by all who met him."
The Editor Societynews St Vincent de Paul Society Locked Bag 4800 Box Hill Vic 3128 Phone: 03 9895 5800 Fax: 03 9895 5850 We endeavour to include as many items as possible in each issue.