Northern Territory CEO Rob Lutter

From the Casuarina Head Office

I hope you have had a lovely July and you are keeping safe and well.

The mid-year School holidays have now come and gone.

We require more volunteers in our stores and with Emergency Relief and all other areas.

If you or someone you know would love to help please contact us at the Darwin Office (08) 8948 8100 or email us at volunteering@vinniesnt.org.au

Thank you to all our volunteers we cannot do our good work without you.

The NT CEO Sleepout was held in late June at the old gaol in Fannie Bay.

Thank you to everyone that volunteered on the night and thank you to all those people who participated in the event to experience just a little of what it is like to sleep rough. A big thank you to Luci for singlehandedly putting together the event.  Our amazing fundraisers raised almost $60k to support our homeless services thank you, everyone.

We continue to have some disruption to our stores and services in July due to Covid we apologise if this has caused any inconvenience.

I am forever grateful for the dedicated and hardworking team of members, volunteers and staff who demonstrate their compassion for those in need every day, thank you and take care.

Become a Volunteer

St Vincent de Paul Society offers our Volunteers training, mentoring and a chance to make a difference, with a few laughs along the way…

Applications available across the Northern Territory, Darwin Region, Palmerston Region, Katherine, Tennent Creek, Alice Springs

🤝Confidential Emergency Relief: Work with a mentor and receive training to become an Emergency Relief case worker who provides assistance to people in dire need of support at our Emergency Relief Centres. This work requires confidential information and data collation used in government reporting providing insight to the immediate needs of the poor and disadvantaged in the Territory. -Stuart Park -Palmerston -Alice Springs

🍜Ozanam House Day Centre for the Homeless: Preparing nutritious meals and serving all with understanding, compassion and without judgement. Fostering relationships based on respect, trust and friendship to restore dignity through laundry services, showers and bathroom facilities and community care work. -Stuart Park

🏪Vinnies Retail Stores: Community donations resold in Vinnies is our most active fundraising front. Accept and sort donations, maintain stock levels and create eye catching merchandising displays. Assist customers from all walks of life with enquiries and purchases. -Cavanagh Street -Stuart Park -Fannie Bay -Winnellie -Casuarina -Palmerston -Coolalinga -Katherine -Tennant Creek -Alice Springs

🚛Warehouse and Transport Services: Logistic operations team collects, sorts and delivers donations across town, helping to reduce waste in landfills. Receive training to operate a forklift and drive a truck on your automatic C-Class license and deliver donated furniture to families in need. -Coconut Grove to Great Darwin & Palmerston Region -Alice Springs

🛠Building and Maintenance: Use your handy-helper skills to build merchandising stands, shelves and racks for our retail stores to showcase and sell our donated stock. -Coconut Grove

⌨️Office Administration: Welcome visitors at reception, answer phones, direct enquiries, enter data, organise files, prioritise tasks, promote Office environment and engage with Vinnies mission vision and values to service those in need. -Casuarina

Required Documents: -COVID 19 mandate Vaccination Certificate. -National Police Clearance -Working with Children Check for people 15 years and older (Vinnies will work with you to collect these required documents). Under 15 years are welcome, however must have a Parent or Guardian with them whilst volunteering with Vinnies.

Our Volunteers come from all walks of life, working together toward a brighter future and in service of the poor.

Reach out & register you interest: Darwin Office (08) 8948 8100 / volunteering@vinniesnt.org.au

Donations that stay 100% in the NT  

Vinnies NT

Domestic violence is the leading cause of homelessness for women and children.

Your support will help provide emergency accommodation, financial support, as well as material assistance to help families to start again.

Food

Your donation can provide basics like food and toiletries for a parents and children after they have fled from an abusive situation, so they can survive the first few days.

Help with the essentials

Your donation can help cover essentials like bills, or larger expenses, such as whitegoods and furniture, so parents can provide a safe home for their children.

Support to keep safe

Your donation can help with rental bonds or payments so that parents and children can have a place of their own to start again.

CathCroc
Catholic Diocese of Darwin - supporting young people in their Faith journey.   

To further assist parents, grand parents, teachers, guardians and other carers involved in children’s faith life journey, the Catholic Diocese of Darwin has developed an animated character called CathCroc with whom children can engage and pose questions. After questions are recieved, periodically a video will be shared on the Diocesan digital channels featuring CathCroc acknowledging the question/questioner. CathCroc would then request Bishop Charles Gauci (who would also appear in the video) to share his thoughts and answer the question.

If you have any questions about the beautiful creations around us email askcathcroc@gmail.com 

Bequest with Vinnies NT
Help those in need

Have you considered including the St Vincent de Paul Society in your Will? A bequest to the Society makes lasting positive change. It is a powerful reflection of the values and principles you treasure. It enables you to create a legacy of love and care for those who most need assistance and it will continue your life’s aims beyond your own lifetime.

If you would like to consider making your community a better place through a bequest to the Society, please contact us for a fact sheet or brochure detailing the Territory’s specific requirements.

Senior Vincentians & Volunteers Welcome & Reunion

Celebrate Senior Territorians and their Contributions to their Community

We will tell stories of achievements and accounts of the impact The Society has had on the lives of Veteran Vincentians and the Companions helped along the years. This brunch will offer a platform for Senior Vincentians to recall our history through achieved materials. Volunteers have been working very hard on our archives and we wish to display our good works with our veteran Vincentians who could help us to fill in any blanks.

We wish to promote the benefits of contributing to community to help seniors stay physically, mentally and socially healthy by serving others and having purpose after a lifetime of ‘work’ is over. We hope to inspire our existing members to continue their good works and inspire potential new seniors to become members and to get involved. We have many service rolls that are in dire need of volunteers, the wealth of experience our Territory Seniors can offer is limitless.

We hope our history and archives can inspire Senior Territorians to continue to contribute ideas, participate, teach, learn and grow.

Email your intertest at luci.lloyd@svdpnt.org.au

The Northern Territory has 12 x the national average of homelessness

First to the Seventh of August 2022

The cost-of-living crisis and the price tag on Territory rental properties are adding pressure to Territory households. Current approximate government weekly support payments for a person on Job Seeker is $321, the Disability Support Pension $493, An Age Pensioner $417 and Youth Allowance $265. With the average private unit rental price at $530 week, vulnerable Territorians have 0% affordability.

“I applied to be accepted here in Bakhita after living on the street in Darwin for approximately 4 months. I was no longer able to stay in a city hotel due to the ending of the travel restrictions which in turn the hotel wanted to increase my room rate from $ 470/ week to over $750. As I am on a Disability Pension from Centrelink that was just an impossible ask.” - Reflection from NT Vinnies Companion.

Donations help provide countless nights of accommodation, food and basic essentials, help with living expenses, caring and personalised support, and more! Families are suffering. With 116,000 individuals and families across Australia currently at risk of or experiencing homelessness. We’ve seen a 13.7% increase in the number of people experiencing homelessness since 2011. That’s 1 in 17 Territorians who will sleep unsafely tonight. Vinnies relies heavily on Government and community donations support to continue our good works.

To Donate Call (08) 8948 8113 

Get up! Stand up! Show up!
July 2022

National NAIDOC Week celebrations were held across Australia in the first week of July (Sunday to Sunday), to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. NAIDOC Week is an opportunity for all Australians to learn about First Nations cultures and histories and participate in celebrations of the oldest, continuous living cultures on earth.

St Vincent de Paul Society proudly supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through our community support services throughout the year and were grateful to be invited to support the Larrakia Nation celebrations for 2022 as a Growth Sponsorship Partner.   

Christmas in July

All Vinnies Conference Members, Volunteers, Employees.

Thank you to all our Volunteers who donate their time and advocate for the Northern Territory Community throughout the year…

We has a fantastic night at the Darwin Ski Club last night, thank you to all who attended and made the night a fun, merry and inclusive evening.

We enjoyed a spectacular Darwin Dry Season night without the sea breeze chill, and the sunset was absolutely beautiful. We enjoyed a delicious dinner thanks to Allison and the team right by the stage and live musician and inside our VIP seating area – WOW!

Congratulations to the winners of the Lucky Door Prizes and the Vinnies Bingo!

Thank you to our sponsors: Bunnings Warehouse Darwin & Sky Line Attractions Ferris Wheel and Mini Golf and Stokes Hill Wharf

Thank you to Good Times Bar and Grill Palmerston for lending the Bingo kit.

Thank you to the fantastic service of the Ski Club Staff and their live musician Lila Wellington.

Thank you to all our Volunteers who dedicate their time to the Society’s good works, without you we could not reach those in need, Bless you.