Our stories

Building a just society means elevating everyone by supporting all people to reach their full potential. Every success story is crucial because none of us can flourish, until we all do.

The Cost of Freedom
- 10 April 2018
Eunhee is a participant in our Just Voices speakers program. Here she reflects on her former life in North Korea and how things have changed for her since becoming a refugee in 2012. Freedom is a common word that is often used in our daily lives, but it is not easy to define. Freedom for…
Generosity helps Western Sydney work grow
- 5 March 2018
This year, we celebrate our 10th anniversary of working in New South Wales. Over the past decade, we have delivered a range of initiatives to communities in Mt Druitt and Emerton including the Ignite Food Store and Op Shop, and more recently we have taken a lead role in the revitalisation of the Willmot Community…
‘When I have no one at home to help me, I can come here’
- 4 March 2018
Each week, around 40 primary and secondary school students gather in Flemington. Some sit around computers to complete class work, and others work one-on-one with volunteer mentors to explore textbooks, assignments and essays. For more than 10 years, Jesuit Social Services’ Homework Club has provided support to students aged eight to 18 who have recently…
No more borders or boundaries
- 2 March 2018
Rosi Matlhabaphiri-Quaremba’s resume featured a remarkable breadth of experience, including roles with the United Nations Population Fund and as a lecturer in communications. But after settling in Australia from her native Botswana, Rosi encountered significant and “emotionally taxing” challenges to securing corporate employment, applying unsuccessfully for almost 300 roles. Through the African-Australian Inclusion Program (AAIP),…
Relationship is key to supporting new arrivals
- 1 March 2018
Relationship has been central to Jesuit Social Services’ work over our more than 40 years. Building trust and understanding is at the heart of our settlement work, which supports newly arrived people and families to make connections, links them in with services and programs, and ultimately helps them settle into life in Australia. “Having access…
#fairgoforfamilies brings refugee voices to Canberra
- 19 December 2017
For many refugees living in our community the challenges of resettlement can be exacerbated by the trauma of long-term separation from their immediate family. Over the past year Jesuit Social Services, the Catholic Alliance for People Seeking Asylum (CAPSA) and the Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) have collaborated to raise public awareness of this issue…
Stand Up for Human Rights
- 11 December 2017
Sunday 10 December marked the 69th anniversary of the proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on 10 December 1948. As the declaration enters its 70th year, the United Nations has started a year long campaign to remind the global community of the need to #StandUp4HumanRights. The upcoming 70th anniversary of the proclamation is…
A passion for making a difference
- 20 October 2017
Dr Mark Ellis AM talks to Vanessa Ientile about what motivates him to support Jesuit Social Services as a Community Partner. I come from a middle-class background and live in a comfortable suburb of Melbourne with my wife Janet. We both come from close-knit families and we are very lucky to have two children, Madeleine…
Learning language and life skills
- 8 August 2017
Jesuit Social Services' English Language Support Program assists participants with English language skills and gives them a greater understanding of life in Australia, KATHRYN KERNOHAN. Settling in a new country can be daunting, particularly when you are not fluent in the language or familiar with local customs. Jesuit Social Services’ English Language Support Program aims to…
Volunteering has a long lasting impact
- 8 August 2017
Volunteer Stephanie Papazoglou talks to KATHRYN KERNOHAN about her rewarding experience tutoring at Homework Club. For more than a decade, children from African communities from around the Flemington area who need some extra assistance with their school work have benefited from Jesuit Social Services’ Homework Club. According to volunteer tutor Stephanie Papazoglou, being involved with the…

Our stories

A safe path out of prison can change everything