St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria Inc.
STAFF
How will you spend
AND
this Christmas?
MEMBERS,
VOLUNTEERS
This year the Christmas Appeal theme is ‘How will you spend this Christmas?’ More details will be supplied in the next edition of Societynews but here is an early sneak peek at the new national campaign: Do you, like so many others, feel like you get caught up in the hustle and bustle of all things Christmas instead of slowing down to remember the meaning of Christmas and enjoy time with family and friends over the festive season? Do you take a moment to think of those who don’t have someone to enjoy Christmas with? Over the Christmas period Vinnies will provide friendship and support to over 500,000 people in need. How will you spend this Christmas?
MP Adam Bandt visits Ozanam House
A
PUBLICATION
FOR
SOCIETY
Newsletter 253 | September-October 2011
In Parliament in June 2011, Adam Bandt MP spoke about homelessness in Melbourne and the work of several local organisations who are addressing homelessness in different ways. As a result VincentCare Victoria invited Adam Bandt (accompanied by Electorate Officer, Emma Garbutt) visited Ozanam House on 3 August, where he met with VincentCare CEO John Blewonski, Acting General Manager Community Services Lisa Sammut and Acting Facility Manager Michelle Turner and discussed issues around homelessness.
TINNIES FOR VINNIES | AQUINAS COLLEGE Aquinas College in Ringwood hosted ‘Tinnies for Vinnies: you CAN help’ during winter. Aquinas students and staff are invited to bring in cans of food and other items such as tooth paste, tooth brushes, soap, etc. These items are then collected for distribution by the local conference. Each year the school collects more than 3,500 cans – a fabulous effort that is greatly appreciated. Sincere thanks to all Aquinas staff and students who contributed.
2 Christmas Greetings one and all
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas even though it’s only October! Christmas cards are available from your local Vinnies Centres in packets of 10 for $5. By purchasing Christmas cards from Vinnies Centres, you will be supporting your local community.
Prayers are requested for...
U P D AT E State President’s message Dear fellow Vincentians The St Vincent de Paul Society’s National Immersion Program has been held annually since 2004 in the remote indigenous community of Nganmarriyanga (Palumpa) in the Northern Territory. It is an intensive two-week immersion experience that gives Society members and volunteers an opportunity to experience what it is like to live in a remote community and gain a better understanding of what it means to be indigenous in Australia today. A group of Society members and volunteers will visit the community from 31 March to 16 April 2012 to spend some time in the local school and run activities for young people during the Easter school holidays. Application forms to participate are available at: http://www.vinnies.org. au/immersion-program-national
Deceased Members, Volunteers, Family and Friends Les Bibby Ex-member, Werribee Conference Bill Broughton Ex-volunteer, Mooroopna Centre Mick Callaghan Member, Sale Conference George Carmody Ex-member, Wangaratta South Conference Kathleen Charles Ex-member, Moe Conference Eileen Clancy Mother of John, Dallas Conference Grace Cleary Ex-member, Narre Warren Conference Jack Dell Volunteer, Ormond Centre Patrick Driscoll Son of Peter & Breda, Creswick Conference Fr John Dunlea Ex-Spiritual Director, St Kieran’s Moe Conference Frank Dunn Member, Sale Conference Patrick Dunn RCP & Member, Reservoir Conference Jack Farley Member, Warrnambool West Conference Catherine Ferns Wife of Geoff/sister of Tony, Essendon Conference Chris Fitzpatrick Member, Kew Conference John Griffin Son of Mick & Carmel, Creswick Conference Elizabeth Heller-Nicholas Member, Moe Conference Mary Hyland Ex-member, Kingsbury Conference Conrad Gomes Auxiliary member, Gladstone Park Conference Mary James Mother of Carol Glover, Dallas Conference Marie Johnson OAM Member, Mentone Conference Dorothy Joseph Wife of ex-Society Liaison Officer, Peter Joseph Ian Mansergh Member, Queenscliff/Ocean Grove Conference Frank McAloon Member, Ballarat Conference Geoff Philip Husband of Marie, Ormond Centre Bob Phillips Ex-member, Fawkner Conference Glenys Rich Member, Bentleigh East Conference & Volunteer, Hampton Centre Maureen Ruscoe Volunteer, Seymour Centre Tony Ryan Member, Drysdale Conference John Twiss Ex-member/father of Teresa, Werribee Conference Frances Watson Wife of Jim, Heidelberg Conference Tom Wilson Ex-member, Thornbury Conference Rene Wright Volunteer, Daylesford Conference Ted Zonneveld Founding member, Moe Conference
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.
The Annual General Meeting of the Society, stakeholders and interested members of the public will be held on Tuesday 8 November 2011. Following the AGM of the Society, our annual Thanksgiving Mass for Deceased Members, Volunteers and Staff will be held in St Francis’ Church at 7pm. The Mass provides an opportunity to acknowledge and give thanks for all members of the Vincentian family who have passed away over the last 12 months.
Tony Tome State President
Calendar Dates Annual
General Meeting Tuesday 8 November 2011, 5pm St Francis’ Monastery Hall Cnr Lonsdale & Elizabeth Sts, Melbourne (located behind the St Francis’ Pastoral Centre) Mass for Deceased Members Tuesday 8 November 2011, 7pm St Francis’ Church, Melbourne Christmas Appeal Friday 4 November 2011 Wednesday 29 February 2012
U P D AT E
Feast day celebrations
Conference members from the Sunraysia region at the St Vincent de Paul reflection day
The celebration of Feast Days is very much part of the Vincentian family story. On Tuesday 27 September 2011, conference members, volunteers, donors and staff gathered at Gerald Ward House in Box Hill to give thanks and to celebrate the works of the Society as well as share in the legacy of our Founder, Blessed Frederic Ozanam and our Patron Saint, Vincent de Paul. As part of this celebration, and with the assistance of the Society’s archivist, Kevin Slattery, a two week display was also afforded to these two great Society men and also to the works of our conferences. Many who visited the display at Gerald Ward House were “blown away” by the Society’s story, in particular, the generational examples of Vincentians serving Victorians in need. As part of the
display, there were many photographs capturing the Society’s works, including men gathered at Ozanam House, volunteers at work at our Vinnies Centres and images capturing our members at conference meetings. We were also incredibly blessed to have John Cannon as our Feast Day speaker. John is the President of Pascoe Vale conference and has served the Society for 50 years. In his presentation, John spoke of his service and love of the St Vincent de Paul Society and how the Society has in the past and continues to serve many families in need. The response by those that shared in John’s presentation was overwhelming and the messages contained within John’s presentation and story is best summed up by our Patron Saint, Vincent de Paul – “Say Little; Do Much”.
Collingwood soup van expands service The Collingwood soup van will soon be distributing fresh fruit and vegetables in addition to their usual meal service thanks to a Feed Melbourne grant. The $10,000 grant will be spent on goods from Toscano’s grocer in Kew, a long-time supporter of the vans. They will supply the goods, to be distributed to those with cooking facilities, at cost price. President of the Victorian soup vans, Br Doug Walsh said the funds are greatly appreciated. “The funding will make a world of difference,” he said. “It just adds to the quality of our service with the soup van and community shop.”
3
Caroline Chisholm Award to John Robinson
Congratulations to John Robinson, a member of the Blackburn South Conference, who was recently presented with a Caroline Chisholm Award by Anna Burke, MP. The awards recognise outstanding volunteers in the cities of Whitehorse and Monash and are named after 19th century volunteer Caroline Chisholm, who assisted over 14,000 people between the years 1841 and 1844. The following is an edited excerpt of his award citation: John Robinson is being recognised for his indefatigable efforts on behalf of those in his local community, in particular for those who are less privileged. During his 46 years as a member of the St Vincent de Paul Society, John has volunteered his services with generosity and compassion towards those in need… His interest in and dedication to social justice is exemplary and there could be no more worthy recipient of a Caroline Chisholm Award.
It’s an all new Annual Report! The 2010-2011 Annual Report and accompanying Financial Report is now available. Extra copies can be obtained from the Fundraising & Public Relations Department. You can access an electronic version from our website.
www.v in n ie s .o rg .a u /a n n u a lreport
U P D AT E
O’Mara House accepts unique donation The Latrobe Valley Palliative Care Fundraisers identified the wish of families for their loved ones in nursing homes to be able to stay where they are at the end of their lives. This was the impetus for their project to help skill nurses in aged care facilities in palliative care. Staff from VincentCare’s O’Mara House in Traralgon will be participating in the next round of training being offered in conjunction with Monash University Gippsland. Facility Manager Gayle Fisher has already gratefully accepted a syringe driver (a devise commonly used in palliative care that is designed to slowly empty a syringe over a period of time) that the group donated to them in addition to the training.
Full article in the Latrobe Valley Express, 22 September 2011 Ed. Congratulations O’Mara House on receiving this outstanding donation which will benefit staff, residents and the local community.
Blanket donation from Creswick Woollen Mills
In August, Vinnies Centres were grateful to be part of the Creswick Woollen Mills’ annual blanket drive. Their CEO Boaz Herszfeld presented the blankets to the Society’s Evelyn Banavas at their mill in Creswick, near Ballarat. Now in it’s sixth year, the blanket drive has seen more than 5,000 blankets donated to people in need. Our thanks to Creswick Woollen Mills for supporting the Society in this way, at a time of great demand for blankets in Vinnies Centres.
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) was proposed by the Australian Government Productivity Commission in a report released in August this year. A key feature of the NDIS is that it would mean a move away from funding services to funding the individual who would purchase their own services of their own choosing. The Government would operate a National Disability Insurance Agency which would assess people and determine the amount of their support funding ‘package’. People could then engage the services of a disability support organisation to help manage their funds, plan and coordinate services. People would purchase their services from a range of specialist disability and generic service providers. In addition to the NDIS, a second, smaller scheme (the National Injury Insurance Scheme) would cover the lifetime care and support needs of people who acquire a catastrophic injury from an accident. This would be similar to state based motor vehicle accident compensation. As it has been proposed, the NDIS, would double current disability funding to bring it up to an estimated $12 billion per annum. Importantly, the scheme would be funded through a legislated formula approach so that funding for disability would no longer be subject to annual federal budget fluctuations. The Commonwealth Government is due to provide a response to the Productivity Commission’s report by late November. However, even if the Commonwealth agrees to it, the NDIS would not be fully rolled out until 2019. Please consider supporting the Every Australian Counts campaign which advocates for the NDIS so that people who have disabilities, including our 60 employees with disabilities at Ozanam Enterprises, will have greater opportunities to receive support and participate in the community in ways we all like to enjoy. To find out more visit: www. everyaustraliancounts.com.au