Artful Dodgers Studios keeping creative spaces alive - Jesuit Social Services

“It just didn’t feel like a regular hospitality business, it was something more special.” A final farewell to our beloved Ignite café

“It just didn't feel like a regular hospitality business, it was something more special.” This was the sentiment echoed by employees and customers alike as we recently farewelled our social enterprise Ignite café program in Camberwell, Victoria. Ignite café supported people facing barriers to work or training to build both skills and meaningful connections, helping…

“When I do art, I am free.” Thuc’s story

Thuc Tran, a participant in Jesuit Social Services’ Western Metro Mental Health and Wellbeing Connect program (MHWC), which supports the family members and carers of people with mental illness and substance use issues, is a true testament to the power of community support. Born in Vietnam, Thuc immigrated to Australia as a refugee with her…

School work that’s out of the box

Ignatius Learning Centre students wrap their hands before boxing class. Teacher Nick Porter describes this as a “beautiful moment”. “It is a calming place – a time to clear their heads and set goals for the session.“

Art classes ‘helped me to feel pride in my culture’

At our Willmot Community Hub in Western Sydney, up to a dozen Indigenous men have been gathering. Here, they paint canvases and Indigenous artifacts, and talk about their lives. Delander Hayes, an Indigenous woman and coordinator of Jesuit Social Services’ Western Sydney programs, describes the classes as, “a therapeutic space – kind, soft and gentle”.…

Connecting with someone who gets what it’s like

“When I was bereaved by suicide, I was not just grieving the loss of a friend but grieving for all LGBTQIA+ people who face a transphobic and homophobic world each day,” says Immy Money, Project Officer at our new Support After Suicide Hub (SASH). “I was realising just how many in our community are suicide…

Helping Donna and Shayne make ‘a contribution beyond our caring’

Donna and Shayne’s fulltime role as carers to Jasmine saw them nominated for the lived experience reference group for Western Metro Mental Health and Wellbeing Connect – our recently launched resource and support hub for carers of those experiencing mental health or substance misuse issues. Donna and Shayne’s 23-year-old daughter, Jasmine, has autism and associated…

How music connects hearts in grief and helps in healing

When musician and anthropologist Glenn McDonald’s mum passed away from suicide in 2011, music played an important part in his recovery. His mum encouraged a love of music from an early age, and since her loss, Glenn has used music to help connect with her, through songs she used to play. Music has also been…