This week has included several updates from our CEO, Acting CEO and Executive Team. This morning, Julie Edwards sent a video message for RU OK Day. This video follows her email announcement yesterday about the Goodwill Leave that the organisation is gifting staff. These days are in addition to the five wellness days previously announced. Cath Neville also sent an email update on recent and upcoming media, which includes details on our Support After Suicide report that is being released today.

At the beginning of the week, Sally Parnell sent a COVID-19 update email to all staff, which acknowledged the impact that continued restrictions is having on the community, summarised the key points of the Premier's roadmap announcement on Sunday and reminded everyone of available staff resources like the Employee Assistance Program. CEO Julie Edwards sent us a video message where she touched on many exciting organisational updates. A detailed CEO communication on this progress will be sent out to all staff and volunteers soon.

The National Week of Solidarity takes place place from 6 to 12 September 2020 and coincides this year with National Child Protection Week. This year’s theme is No Child Left Behind and gives us an opportunity to campaign around the country, to pray and be involved in coordinated direct action asking for fair treatment and support for people seeking asylum and their children.

Jesuit Social Services has joined Jesuit Refugee Service and the Catholic Alliance for People Seeking Asylum (CAPSA) to encourage schools to organise and hold a range of activities to stand in solidarity for people seeking asylum and their children with a focus on raising awareness of the #NoChildLeftBehind campaign. 

Dodgers participant awarded the Lionel Gell Foundation Scholarship

Gifted young artist Nyssa Levings is the latest former Artful Dodger’s participant to go on and achieve great things.

Recently Nyssa, now a second year student at the Victorian College of the Art’s Sculpture and Spatial Studies Faculty, was awarded the prestigious Lionel Gell Foundation Scholarship.

An Essential Lifeline in Melbourne

The Ecological Justice Hub has continued responding to the needs of the local community through its Meal Drop Program. With the extension of COVID-19 restrictions, the Hub has met an increased call for assistance by creating 620 nutritious, gluten-free, nut-free, vegan meals, all packaged in fully biodegradable cardboard boxes. Head Chef Johnny and his kitchen team imagine up a menu each week that’s centred around supplies and seasonal vegetables available at the Hub. 

International Day of Charity Reflection

Andy Hamilton reflects on the meaning of charity in his latest blog post. He writes about how it is about much more than money and how charity has been on display during Covid times. 

#WorthASecondChance Community Check-In

#WorthASecondChance Campaign Manager, Jess Sanders, talks to Luke Anderson, a young man with lived experience of the justice system. In this conversation, Luke tells Jess about the importance of role models.

Missed the Hub's Zero Waste Cooking class? You're in luck!

Last Saturday, in partnership with Moreland City Council, Mahira Sobral and Chef Johnny of the Ecological Justice Hub hosted a cooking class focused on zero-waste cooking on a budget. Live from the Hub's kitchen, sixty guests followed along as Johnny showed them how to create four dishes from one cauliflower. A recording of the class is available below, just make sure you enter the password (it's jQL=4$Y+) and get the ingredient from the list here!

Another free and family-friendly cooking class will be taking place on Saturday 10 October so look out for details in a future edition of Just News.

A report released today by Jesuit Social Services’ Support After Suicide program shows that parents, partners, children and siblings are struggling in silence against a mental health system that they feel leaves them unsupported and uninformed to care for loved ones at risk of suicide. Read here.

Published at Pro Bono Australia, Executive Director of The Men's Project, Matt Tyler's op ed about the findings of the recently launched Unpacking the Man Box Report. Read here.

Jesuit Social Services has partnered with other organisations in Katherine, NT on a new bush garden project. Read about the initiative in this article in the Katherine Times.

Julie Edwards talks to CathNews in this article about the ACT voting to raise the age of legal responsibility and how it must be the impetus for the rest of Australia to do the same.

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