Relationship is key to supporting new arrivals - Jesuit Social Services

Staff and participants at one of Jesuit Social Services’ Settlement programs.

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 to practical assistance can often be taken for granted by those who have lived in Australia for a long time and speak English,” says Jesuit Social Services’ Support Worker Nicole Attard. “However those who are newly arrived can struggle to know where to turn.

Our settlement program is flexible, dynamic and innovative in the way it supports participants to maximise their resources, skills and chances of living a happy and meaningful life in a new country,” says Nicole.

The settlement program work spans individual casework, groups, workshops, information sessions and activities such as English Language Support Programs and a Homework Club, in which volunteer mentors assist primary and secondary students with their school work.

Participant Hawa arrived in Australia from Eritrea in 2014 and has settled in Melbourne with five of her children. She says the practical support provided by the settlement program has helped her family feel at home in Australia.

“Coming to Australia has been one of the greatest things that has happened to me and my family, and I am so happy to be a part of this organisation which helped me and my kids be in a good and safe environment,” she says.

“There have been challenges but with the help from the settlement program there is more hope in raising my children to achieve more, make a quality life and be great contributors to society.”

Nicole says the work is equally rewarding for staff members and volunteers, who get to support people in their journey to participating more fully in society.

“Even assisting a participant to connect electricity or other utilities, we are able to work together to build independence and empowerment,” she says.

“In every engagement there is opportunity to cultivate a positive experience for participants living in a new country.”

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Alliance key to climate justice in the Northern Territory

The Northern Territory is on the frontline of intensifying heat, extreme weather events, and rising sea levels. Remote communities and homelands across the Territory are particularly at risk of these impacts with many Aboriginal communities already facing food insecurity, a lack of safe drinking water and access to reliable, affordable electricity. The Climate Justice Alliance, established in the Territory in 2021, strives towards a just transition - one that focuses on adapting to the impacts of climate change, and on the alternative economic futures needed to ensure justice for people and planet.

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In the city of Darebin, nestled in the inner north of Melbourne, there are many community members who experience multiple forms of disadvantage and are vulnerable to the impacts of heat. As extreme weather events become more frequent, the Centre for Just Places is working closely with communities like Darebin, to build climate resilience. The Centre empowers them to cope with the impacts of climate change and to continue thriving as connected, vibrant communities.

School canteens feed curiosity

The Currawong Kitchen school canteen was established in 2020 to provide healthy school snacks, catering, and food hampers to families in the historically disadvantaged and under-serviced area of Mount Druitt. Two school canteens now sit alongside Jesuit Social Services’ affordable grocery stores, Ignite Food Store and Open Pantry, where the parents of school children can shop in a supportive, educational, low-cost setting. As Chandelle, who oversees Jesuit Social Services' food security programs in Western Sydney, explains "We’re different from a typical school canteen. We’re passionate about inspiring children to be curious about what they eat and encourage them to try a variety of healthy foods. We want them to develop their palates and trust their taste."

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In January, Jesuit Social Services was honoured to host special visitors from the global Jesuit community. Fr Arturo Sosa SJ is the Father-General of the Society of Jesus, the global leader of the Jesuit Order. When he visited Australia for the first time, we were delighted that he made time to visit our Richmond office. This is the first time a Father-General has visited Jesuit Social Services.

Annual Dinner 2024

More than 200 people gathered at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on March 1st for Jesuit Social Services’ Annual Dinner. The event has traditionally sought to deliver a thought-providing keynote on important social justice issues, give attendees a chance to network and mingle, while raising funds for the organisation’s work. But this year, fundraising took a back seat in favour of more time to connect and build relationships.

Open Pantry helping provide food security and connection

Hear how Open Pantry delivers healthy meals and community for the Western Sydney residents.

Music workshops encourage self-expression in Alice Springs school

Hear how students at Yipirinya School have workshopped songs and laid down beats with ARIA Award-winning musician Adrian Eagle, as part of a new relationship between the school and Jesuit Social Services that will provide opportunities for performance, self-expression, and new narratives for First Nations young people in Mparntwe/Alice Springs.