Making a
Difference
Thank You!
Autumn 2014
Thank You!
Inside this issue
Thanks to your generous donations and
support the Society was able to assist more
than 280,000 people in need across
Queensland last year.
A Message from the State President
St Vincent de Paul Society Queensland
> Dear friends ...
Many of the people who have the courage
to make the contact with us are facing tough
times.
They may have recently lost their job, had
a marriage or family break up, can’t make
the budget stretch to meet increasing living
costs, live with mental illness or just need a
hand up during a difficult period.
Towards a Brighter Future
> An inspirational story about courage and
determination
Your Generous Donations
> The incredible donations we received this
Christmas
Home Visitation
> A story about the amazing work carried out
by Society members during home visitations
The number of people your donations reach
is astounding!
Local News
> A new Vinnies Shop opening in Mt Gravatt
Take a moment to imagine the relief of each
of these individuals who had nowhere else
to turn, who had lost all hope and were
imagining the worst. We would like to share
the thank you that they share with us, the
smile when help arrives and the tears of
gratitude.
Introducing Marion Keane
> A motivational story about Society donor
Marion Keane
THANK YOU!
FOR YOUR GENEROUS SUPPORT
Christmas Hampers
> Incredibly more than 3000 hampers were
distributed this Christmas
The Opening of MacKillop Village
> How a new 41 unit facility is making a
difference to more than 50 residents in Nambour
Message from
State President
St Vincent de Paul
Society Qld
Brian Moore, Vinnies State President
Dear friends,
Our good works are only made possible
through the generosity of the Society’s friends,
whether that be through giving time as a
volunteer or member, or by making a thoughtful
donation.
Our Autumn edition of Making a Difference
provides an insight into how people’s
generosity is put into action. We look at how
the Society assisted people in need last year,
a snapshot of our new Mackillop Village and
insight into our home visitation program.
The reason for a donation is as powerful as the
financial donation made and we would like to
A Personal Record
is a valuable
free resource
to help record
your important
information in one
place & assist in
preparing your Will.
Society donor
Marion Keane
knows just how
powerful it feels to
leave a gift in a Will.
For her story and a
copy of A Personal
Record see page 6.
page 2
hear yours. See the back page for information
on how to share your story with us.
Your support means we can continue providing
a hand up, not just a hand out, to people in
need through our housing, youth, and financial
assistance programs. Thank you.
Brian Moore
State President
St Vincent de Paul Society Queensland
Contact us
State Communications Manager
St Vincent de Paul Society Queensland
PO Box 3351, South Brisbane QLD 4101
Tel
Fax
Email
Web
(07) 3010 1000
(07) 3010 1099
[email protected]
vinnies.org.au
To donate call 13 18 12
To volunteer email [email protected]
ABN 14 211 506 904
* Names changed throughout to protect identies
* Some images are stock images
Inspirational
Towards
a Brighter Future ...
Alicia* had been living on her own since the
age of 14. She was regularly using drugs
and fell pregnant at 17. Following her baby’s
birth she fought post-natal depression and
attempted suicide. In an effort to protect herself
from violence from the baby’s father Alicia
fought back.
making significant progress. She participated
in a parenting course run by the University,
significantly improved her parenting skills and
her awareness of her parental responsibilities.
A family routine was drawn up and her
daughter’s bedtime became 7pm instead of
11pm.
Alicia provided the basics for her child, living in
a run-down local motel and paying exorbitant
rent.
Alicia also participated in a money
management course, ideally suited as she
was unaware of the amounts she owed and
to whom. Her debts were soon identified and
a repayment schedule established. By August
2013 she was debt free.
In December 2012, Alicia was interviewed
by Families Back on Track (FBOT) staff and
admitted to using marijuana as recently as four
weeks prior. FBOT staff were impressed with
Alicia’s honesty and the insight she had into
realising the importance of making some kind
of change in her life. Alicia was “sick of living
like this”.
When Alicia was accepted into the FBOT
program, she was 19 years old and was
suffering memory loss as a result of drug use.
She had no confidence or motivation and little
control over her life, resorting to calling her
ex-boyfriend for her own bank account number.
Her reckless and impulsive decision making,
combined with lack of confidence meant she
was unable to call other support services for
much needed help.
After six months of working intensively with
her FBOT Support Worker, Alicia began
Alicia attended other courses run by FBOT
support workers where she became interested
in self improvement. She enrolled her daughter
in child care after recognising the importance of
developing her cognitive and social skills.
Alicia now understands that the key to
improving her life circumstances and
avoiding the poverty trap lies in education
and employment. Alicia is currently enrolled
in a Cert III course and is looking forward to
obtaining employment by the end of the year.
Recently, Alicia was offered public housing
which will give her and her daughter secure
and affordable housing. Alicia is on her way
towards a Brighter Future ...
page 3
Generosity
[Continued from front page]
Thanks to your generous donations and support the Society was able to assist more than
280,000 people in need across Queensland last year. The graphic below highlights the the
number of people you assisted and the areas they came from.
page 4
Vital Services
Home Visitations
Everyday around Queensland teams of two or
more Society Members visit people in need.
These home visitations are vitally important.
Financial donations are used to provide a hand
up to those who make the call when times are
tough.
Rachael* left Victoria with her three children
to start a new life away from violence. Her
mother lived in Queensland so Rachael put
all her household items in a storage shed and
packed the car. Not long after pitching their tent
in a Caravan Park, wild storms destroyed their
makeshift home forcing the single mother into a
high-rent unit she could barely afford.
This is when Rachael called the local Vinnies
helpline for assistance with food, bills and
a fridge. Three Members from her local
conference went to Rachael’s home and sat
with her. Together they identified seven main
key areas they could help support her to
restore her confidence and get her life back on
track:
Community
• Working with her to develop a budget and
controlling her bills
• Moving her furniture from Victoria
• Helping her to purchase a second hand
fridge
• Repairing her car
• Supporting her to quit smoking
• Reconnecting with her mother
• Finding her find a affordable rental
accommodation.
Funds of around $3,000 from appeals and
parish donations enabled the Society to help
Rachael. Support included assisting with her
rent, food, car repairs, moving her children’s
treasured items from Victoria, purchasing
fuel and the basic necessities we all take
for granted in life. In addition, good quality
donations of clothes, toys and books from the
local Vinnies Shop were given to the children
to have until theirs arrived.
Three Members met with Rachael fortnightly
to support her as she developed and used
a budget. They provided a kind ear to listen
when she was worried, advice when she was
trying to make decisions and praise when she
hit her budget targets. The Members watched
as Rachael paid her bills, wiped her debts and
even started saving money. After five months
Rachael was more confident and happy, living
within her budget and still being able to provide
all the necessities her family needed. She was
able to move forward by herself thanks to the
support of the Members.
The Members were excited when Rachael
was able to quit smoking during the months
on top of all the progress she was making for
her family. Since the support offered by the
Society, Rachael has not needed to call. The
hand up she needed when times were tough
helped her get back her independence and
self-confidence. Thanks to your donations
and our hardworking Members, stories like
Rachael’s can be found across Queensland.
Local News
A new Vinnies Shop has opened at 1379 Logan
Road, Mt Gravatt. Come along and meet the
team Mon-Fri 9am to 5pm and Saturday 9am
to 4pm. The profit from your purchase of good
quality second hand clothing, accessories,
books and other items helps those in need
within the local community.
page 5
Motivational
Introducing ...
Marion Keane
Society donor Marion is 73 year old, still
working part-time and can powerlift 90kg. She
has set new power lifting records in Australia
and continues to train as a power lifter with a
view to entering future competitions.
This incredibly strong woman is a Society
supporter and advocate for helping those who
are homeless.
Her father was a very active member of St
Vincent de Paul in the local parish for many
years and would regularly provide home
visitations. He would relate the hardships of
many of the families he encountered.
While she makes regular financial donations
now, she has bequeathed funds in her Will to
St Vincent de Paul Society Queensland. Her
late husband also left a bequest to the Society.
Joy of Giving
Marion said she wanted her bequest to be used
to help those who are homeless.
At home with Marion Keane.
Image greatfully supplied by Marion.
“I always think I’m lucky to have a bed to sleep
in. As you get older you realise relationships
are important and you don’t need a lot of
things.”
For more information on leaving a gift in your
will or your free copy of A Personal Record:
Contact
Nola Macaulay
Tel
3010 1076
Email
[email protected]
Christmas Hampers
Christmas is a time of joy and giving,
something that many people who are struggling
financially are not able to experience.
Thanks to the generosity of our donors,
conferences, volunteers and countless
organisations the Society was able to bring a
little cheer to thousands of households.
More than 3000 hampers were distributed
across the State. Financial donations
provided vouchers for parents to experience
the joy of purchasing a gift for their children.
Delicious non-perishable food items and basic
necessities were bundled together into the
hampers.
Rockhampton and surrounds saw 700 hampers
make their way to people facing a bleak
page 6
A big THANK YOU to the volunteers who distributed the
incredible 150 hampers generously donated by the educators
and families from Goodstart Early Learning Centres.
Christmas. To the West of Brisbane more than
1,000 hampers were distributed while Brisbane
City and South exceeded 300 hampers.
Far Northern Queensland distributed more than
480, while Townsville and surrounds shared
439.
Opportunity
The Opening of
MacKillop Village
At the opening of Mackillop Village November 2013.
Left to right: Brian Moore, President, St Vincent de Paul Society Qld
with Tim Mander, Minister for Housing and Public Works.
Fact: Almost 20,000 Queenslanders face
homelessness, a statistic Vinnies is changing
with the help of our donors and corporate
supporters.
“Coming to this housing has helped Charlie
gain confidence and happiness while I build
myself up, gain employment and prepare us to
go out into the private rental market.
Nambour saw the official opening of MacKillop
Village last year, contributing to the 427 units
of accommodation now providing safe, secure
and affordable housing to those in need.
“Being able to stay in Queensland means
Charlie has been able to see her Daddy
regularly and for him and I to build a friendship
for the sake of our daughter.
The 41 unit facility provides affordable
accommodation for more than 50 residents
today.
“I will always be grateful for this generous
opportunity for Charlie and me. I hope the next
tenant will have the same joy and growth that
we have been lucky enough to experience,”
she said.
Tenants Lindy and her 5-year old daughter
Charlie are safely housed there after facing
uncertainty and possible homelessness.
“When my marriage broke down I had no
family or support in Queensland and a small,
frightened child,” Lindy said.
“I was depressed, looking for work and worried
about Charlie. But then I rang St Vincent de
Paul Society and they helped us.
The Village has been named after St Mary
of the Cross MacKillop who worked tirelessly
through her life to help the poor.
The Village consists of 17 two bedroom units
and 24 one bedroom units spread across four
blocks named after iconic Vinnies founders and
supporters: Rendu; Ozanam; Desmond; and
De Marillac.
page 7
MAKE A DIFFERENCE TODAY
Your reason for donating is just as powerful as the financial donation you make.
We would love to know your reasons for donating to Vinnies.
My reason/s ...
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
Please share your reasons with us.
Option 1. Mail Complete the form above and mail it to us
St Vincent de Paul Society, Reply Paid 3351,
South Brisbane QLD 4101
Option 2. Email [email protected]
Option 3. Facebook Send us a personal message
https://www.facebook.com/vinniesqld
Option
1
I’d like to make a gift to support the work of the Society
$50
$75
$150
$250
$500
Option
Visa
Amex
Diners
MasterCard
Other $
Donations over $2 are tax deductable
2
Please debit my card:
I’d like to join the Helping Hands Club and make a
regular monthly gift of:
Name________________________________________
Name on card if different_________________________
Address______________________________________
Signature_______________________Expiry____/____
$ ________________(minimum of $10)
Please debit my credit card every month until I advise otherwise
I have already remembered Vinnies in my Will
Please send me information to help me consider including Vinnies in my Will
Please send me a free copy of A Personal Record
Email address_________________________________
I would like a receipt emailed to me, providing your email
address allows us to email your tax receipt to you, minimising
postage costs and paper usage
My cheque or money order is enclosed, crossed ‘Not
Negotiable’ and made payable to St Vincent de Paul Society
Queensland.