Holy Family President - Northern Territory

Kay Fitzpatrick  

Welcome to the September E-newsletter

September is St Vincent de Paul Society Festival Month

Everyone is welcome to attend the Society’s Festival Mass that will be held at the Holy Spirit Parish on Tuesday 27th Sept. Mass will being at 5:30pm, followed by fellowship.

In August as a part of Seniors Month Holy Family celebrated grandparents and elders with a Sunday Morning Tea, held after our 9am Mass.

Senior Vincentians and Volunteers Welcome and Reunion is tomorrow, Saturday 3rd September from 10 am till 2 pm. Please come along to the Casuarina Head Office to help us recognise the faces of good works.

Conferences have been hosting monthly BBQs at our Park Lodge hostel and will hold another on the 8th of September. Its’s a great opportunity for Members to interact with our Companions and get to know the people who live in our residencies.

Please keep Vinnies in mind for donations with the Community pre cyclone clean-up. We are always chasing tables, chairs and household furnishings for our companions as they move out of homelessness and into our Community Housing Program.

We are looking for a coordinator for the 2022 Christmas Hampers! The planning and logistics work is ready to go, we just need a Facilitator to communicate and take charge of the activities. Please get in touch with your Conference President if you are interested in stepping up into this important role.

The ‘Memorial Gardens’ is in the pipeline for the front of the Bakhita centre. We are seeking names of any well deserving, deceased members to be commemorated on the memorial. Once a date for construction has been confirmed we will need some native plants to be planted in the garden. If you are a green thumb and interested in propagating some plant donations please get started now!

Enjoy the coming mango season.

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, Tennant 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 -Casuarina -Palmerston -Alice Springs             Times and Days may vary.

🍜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        Monday to Friday 7am – 12noon.

🏪Vinnies Retail Stores: Community donations resold in Vinnies are 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        

Monday to Saturday  9am – 5pm. Times and Days may vary.

🚛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 licence and deliver donated furniture to families in need.

-Coconut Grove to Greater Darwin & Palmerston Region -Alice Springs.       Monday to Friday 8am –4pm.

🛠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.

-Locations and times can vary. Previous experience required.

⌨️Office Administration: Office Administration:

Welcome visitors at reception, answer phones, direct enquiries via email or phone, enter confidential data, organise files.

-Casuarina          Monday to Friday 8.30am – 4pm.

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 your interest: Vinnies NT | Facebook / Darwin Office (08) 8948 8100 / volunteering@vinniesnt.org.au

Donations stay in the NT! To DONATE NOW  Call (08) 8948 8113 or Visit https://donate.vinnies.org.au/appeals-nt/emergency-appeal-nt

Vinnies relies heavily on Government and community donations support to continue our good works.

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.

Donations help provide countless nights of accommodation, food and basic essentials, help with living expenses, caring and personalised support, and more! Families are suffering. 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.

With 116,000 individuals and families across Australia currently at risk of or experiencing homelessness.

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

Reach out: to Bishop Charles Gauci and the Catholic Diocese of Darwin for more information.

http://www.darwin.catholic.org.au/ / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQDlciT27HM

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.

Visit Vinnies NT Wills and Bequests: https://www.vinnies.org.au/page/Donate/Wills_and_Bequests/NT/

Senior Vincentians and Volunteers Welcome and Reunion

Journey through our archives and history as we celebrate Senior Territorians and their Contributions to our Community

On display will be historical Vinnies photos, taken mainly from Darwin and Palmerston events, involving hundreds of members, volunteers and employees. The display will offer an opportunity for Senior Vincentians to recall details of their involvement in the Society over many years, whether they have been members, volunteers or employees.

This is a chance for Vincentians to come together, celebrate and remember the good works that have been achieved over the years.

Volunteers have been and still are the core of the Society and without generous people like you, we would not be able to use our funds to directly help those in need. Thank you!

Please RSVP 8948 8113  

DATE Saturday 3rd of September 2022

TIME 10:00am to 2:00pm

LOCATION Head Office - 3 Bradshaw Terrace, Casuarina

Elevator entry through Bradshaw Terrace door

FEATURING Tea, Coffee, Juice and Light Refreshments

CAUTION – DAD JOKE “I never used to like facial hair, but then it grew on me!”
Father’s Day is Sunday 4^th September 2022

Be sure to celebrate Territory Dad’s this father’s day!

Poem for Dad’s

Special Hero

"When I was a baby,

you would hold me in your arms.

I felt the love and tenderness,

keeping me safe from harm.

I would look up into your eyes,

and all the love I would see.

How did I get so lucky?

You were the dad chosen for me."

 —Christina M. Kerschen

❤️ Happy Father’s Day Territory Dad’s! 😍

Protecting children is everybody’s business!
4^th – 10^th September 2022

National Child Protection Week this year will continue to embrace the overarching message that

‘Every child, in every community, needs a fair go’.

In particular, this year we will be shining a light on children growing up safe and supported.

Find out more at:

Get Involved - NAPCAN

Get involved in the NT Acts of Kindness Challenge.

https://www.napcan.org.au/nt-acts-of-kindness-challenge/

The NT’s annual cyclone clean up is coming to a curb near you!
Time to check your property and do a bit of ‘build up’ / ‘spring’ cleaning.

As you sort out your possessions, please THINK OF VINNIES!!!

We get calls daily from people in need of beds, mattresses, fridges, washing machines, couches, dining tables and chairs.

Our donations are quality controlled, remember they will be loved again in a new home, so don’t dump on Vinnies. Your donations can’t be gifted to people in need or resold if they are broken.

Heading into Cyclone Season

Check your emergency kit, ensure household members know where the strongest part of the house is and what to do in the event of a cyclone warning or an evacuation. Tune in to your local radio or television stations for further information and warnings. check your neighbours are aware of the situation.

https://www.darwin.nt.gov.au/

https://palmerston.nt.gov.au/operations/environment/cyclone-preparation

https://securent.nt.gov.au/prepare-for-an-emergency/weather-events/cyclones/alerts-and-warnings

WHAT WE DO AT VINNIES!

Making a difference in our Territory Community.

Our Vinnies Centres of Charity are a vibrant and visible Society presence in the Northern Territory, with ten retail stores and a warehouse across Darwin, Palmerston, Katherine, Tenant Creek and Alice Springs. For our community, they are often a treasure trove of amazing bargains, vintage wear, a special costume or sometimes a designer label – you never know what you may find at Vinnies. For the poor and disadvantaged, they are a place to meet a need, whether for clothing, connection, household items, or on a more serious note, a safe place to ask for help, with triage to Emergency Relief Services. To our operations, Vinnies Centres of Charity underpin our capacity to deliver services, with the revenue distributed through Society Services.

Please RSVP volunteering@vinniesnt.org.au or (08) 8948 8100 or in our Palmerston Store

DATE Tuesday 4^th October 2022

TIME 9:30am to 11:30am

LOCATION Vinnies Palmerston, 3 Royalt Street Palmerston, NT.

FEATURING Light Refreshments and Engagement Activities

Free Telstra Wi-Fi have activated from Wi-Fi enabled pay phones from Thursday 25^th August 2022

Making it easier to access services

Telstra is making Wi-Fi free at selected payphones across the country, to give more Australians access to free internet - whether they’re in a vulnerable situation and need access to help, or connecting with family and loved ones during natural disasters.

In August last year Telstra made all standard national calls from Telstra payphones around Australia free of charge. Almost 19 million free calls have been made from Telstra payphones in the past year, with more than 250,000 calls made to critical services like Triple Zero (000) and Lifeline. Centrelink was the most dialled service from payphones in the past year.

Telstra Group Executive for Consumer and Small Business Michael Ackland stated

“While a lot of us take connectivity for granted these days, many isolated or vulnerable people, although they may have access to a mobile device, don’t always have the data to be able to connect. Free Wi-Fi has the potential to make a massive difference in their ability to stay connected to family and friends and access essential services. Since we made calls free from payphones (in August) last year we’ve seen a 70 per cent rise in call volumes across the country, showing the humble Telstra payphone still has an important role to play. Payphones are supporting communities nation-wide, and while the Northern Territory has the highest number of free calls made, our single strongest performing payphone sits in Melbourne’s CBD within community housing. While it’s especially important for our community’s most vulnerable, our Free Wi-Fi is available for everyone – whether you’re a Telstra customer or not. So if you’re out and about, have run out of data and need to connect with mum on the family chat, you can get online and get in contact. From today, around 3,000 Telstra payphones across the country will offer free Wi-Fi with the goal of upgrading our entire payphone network of almost 12,000 payphones over the coming years.”

Mr Ackland said a priority under the initiative was for Telstra to provide enhanced power resilience and Wi-Fi capability for 1,000 payphones in disaster-prone regional areas.

Save this date

All Vinnies Conference Members

St Vincent de Paul Society Annual General Meeting

DATE Thursday 10th November 2022

TIME 5:30pm

LOCATION Mary MacKillop Hall

FEATURING Tea, Coffee, Juice and Light Refreshments.

The agenda will be emailed out to members in early October.

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

Bless you.

Save this date

All Vinnies Members, Volunteers and Staff

St Vincent de Paul Society Christmas Celebration will take place at Silks.   

DATE Saturday 3^rd December 2022

FEATURING Delicious Dinner and Non-Alcoholic Beverages

RSVP’s Will be taken in early November

Thank you to all our Members, Volunteers and Staff – Let’s celebrate this Christmas!