CEO Julie Edwards sent staff a video message after Jesuit Social Services' annual Board Workshop. The Board wanted to communicate their thanks and appreciation for all of the hard work staff have done this year. You can watch Julie's full video here.

Executive Director of Business Support, Phil Hodgson, updated staff on further changes to the Victorian Government's Portable Long Service Leave (PLSL) scheme. These changes are applicable to Victorian staff, excluding Trainers and Assessors, Café staff, and those under the Working For Victoria initiative. You can read Phil's full email here and access the email attachment here. 

Executive Director of Programs and COO, Sally Parnell, gave clarity to the question around whether masks are required to be worn in the office setting. She confirmed that it is no longer mandatory to do so, so long as you can maintain a 1.5-metre distance between yourself and others. You can read Sally's full email here.

Julie emailed all staff this week with her CEO Communication with organisational news. You can access this document here. 

Lastly, this will be the last Just News for the year but we look forward to sending you the next issue in early 2021. To those who celebrate, Merry Christmas!

Participants share stories of their Working for Victoria experiences

We are so grateful to have gained incredible colleagues across the organisation this year,  thanks to the Working for Victoria initiative. Thank you to each and every one of you for everything you've done for Jesuit Social Services during your time with us.

As part of the initiative, forty-five roles within various areas of Jesuit Social Services were provided, including roles at the Ecological Justice Hub, Jesuit Community College, The Men’s Project, Support After Suicide, Settlement, The Outdoor Experience, Business Support, Advocacy and Strategic Communications, Adult Justice, Connexions and the Artful Dodgers Studios. We also have a number of employees working in outreach roles to support our community partner organisations, including Africause, African Family Services, Multicultural Consulting Services, Catholic Social Services, CERES and the Fawkner Food Bowls.

Two Participants, Teyra and Shauna, have generously shared their Working for Victoria experiences with us and you can read them below. 

CAPSA's first webinar: From Solidarity to Solutions

The Catholic Alliance for People Seeking Asylum (CAPSA), co-chaired by Jesuit Social Services and Jesuit Refugee Service Australia, held a webinar on December 15th to review the impact of 2020 on those seeking asylum and to garner hope for 2021 and beyond.

Panellists Nishadh Rego (Policy, Advocacy and Communications Manager at Jesuit Refugee Service Australia), Josh Lourensz (Executive Director at Catholic Social Services Victoria), Sister Brigid Arthur (Project Coordinator at the Brigidine Asylum Seekers Project) and Idrissa Dumbuya (advocate and community leader with lived experience) participated in a conversation moderated by Jesuit Social Services CEO Julie Edwards.

Watch a recording of the webinar here.

Thanks for joining us at All Staff Day!

Over 200 of our staff and volunteers joined us for the recent All Staff event. We got to hear from many areas of our organisation, including Western Sydney, Support After Suicide, Northern Territory, Working for Victoria and more. We look forward to the next All Staff Day where we'll hear from other programs and teams.

In addition to organisational updates, the agenda included a rocking performance by Sadboy and Cassie, a staff connecting activity in breakout rooms and a Year in Review video presentation. If you missed the event and would like to watch the Year in Review video, check it out above. 

Thank you to everyone who completed our post-event survey. Your feedback is important as it helps us shape future All Staff Days. If you didn't get a chance to tell us your thoughts, you can always reach out to the events team at events@jss.org.au and give us feedback that way.

Exciting news for the Studios

Artful Dodgers Studios has received a grant from Live Music Australia that will provide infrastructure support for the program to present more original and diverse young voices through more Melbourne Megaphone Music Showcases.

The grant will allow the Studios to upgrade the studio sound and lighting technology, as well as develop and deliver an annual performance program to help Studios musicians enter the Australian music industry.

We're excited to see how the upgrades progress and hear what's created by the Studios' musicians!

In other Studios news, 3CR is planning to broadcast the Braided Podcast over summer! Streaming details will be available soon on the station's website: www.3cr.org.au.

Andy Hamilton reflection on Human Rights Day

Human Rights Day is a time to reflect on what makes human rights human, writes ANDY HAMILTON SJ.

Human Rights Day is a day worth celebrating. It marks a long history of struggle – for the right of people without property to vote, for example, for the right of women to vote, for the right of Indigenous people to vote. The acceptance in society of each of these rights came only after people fought for them. The same is true of other things that we now accept as rights. Human Rights Day honours the struggle of so many people who fought and often suffered in support of the rights of people in their society.

Our CEO Julie Edwards spoke to ABC News about a review which found that 25 men on parole in Victoria died in the 31 months to October 2018. Read more.

Support After Suicide Manager Dr Louise Flynn spoke to the Adelaide Advertiser about why people bereaved by suicide are at higher risk of mental health issues. “They need understanding, support and many will benefit from specialised counselling,” she says. Read more.

Paulie Stewart from our Just Voices Speakers Program shared a ‘postcard to Victoria,’ touching on his work with participants, with ABC Radio Melbourne. Read more.

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