As we continue to adapt to the new normal of living and working under COVID-19 restrictions, in addition to linking to a recent video from our CEO Julie Edwards, this weeks update showcases how some of our programs are adapting their services. 

Support After Suicide has moved all its services online including one-on-one counselling and group programs. As with many other programs, keeping in contact with people who have limited access to technology or who are not adept at using it has been difficult. SAS staff are also observing that the policies in place to limit the spread of COVID-19 are adding to the trauma experienced by people bereaved by suicide. For many, the grief they feel after losing a loved one is compounded by the loneliness, isolation and anxiety of the current restrictions. 

Artful Dodgers Studios is delivering services online, including one-on-one mentoring and ‘group jam’ sessions where participants can connect with each other and share projects. Program staff have observed that for some participants, this is their only form of social connection at the moment, particularly for those living in unstable/unsafe environments. Program staff have also observed that a lack of access to smartphones, stable internet connections and data is a barrier for some young people accessing the service.

Our Settlement Program is offering the Homework Club program online to participants who have been matched with tutors to engage in online mentoring. A priority is working with students who may be disadvantaged (such as parents who do not speak English) and those completing VCE.

Our Policy team has continued to work on submissions while in isolation. Recent work has included submissions to the Inquiries into homelessness in Victoria and Australia, the Review of Vocational & Applied Learning in Senior Secondary Schooling and the Submission on the NT Aboriginal Justice Agreement.

We will continue to profile our other program areas in coming issues. As always, if you have a story to share, you can do this by using the submit button at the bottom of this email, or by sending an email to andrew.gillett@jss.org.au

“Right now we’re in an in between state. There was a life before coronavirus, and there will be a life afterwards. We have a chance to transform to a more just society. It would be a grave injustice if the people who bore the brunt of the old world are made to bear the brunt of the new, and the least powerful in our society are crushed.”

Our CEO Julie Edwards shared her thoughts on what a more compassionate society could look like in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, in an article on the Pro Bono Australia website.

Zero Waste cooking course

Starting on 15 May, our Ecological Justice Hub is introducing a new online course ‘Zero Waste Cooking and Sustainability’. The course combines practical demonstrations on how to cook without waste, along with investigations into the stages and resources involved in getting food from the paddock to our plates. You will be invited to cook along at home with our highly skilled chef.

Topics include the food supply chain, mapping and food waste; climate change and food systems; the role of water within the food system; how to be a sustainable and affordable food shopper; zero waste cooking & how to get the most out of your ingredients; global food trade and Australia’s food industries and practical tips on how to reduce household waste.

The course will be delivered online via Zoom. For more information and to sign up, visit the Jesuit Community College WeTeachMe page:

Ecological Justice Hub supporting the community

Our Ecological Justice Hub is piloting a program to deliver nutritious, organic, vegan, gluten and nut-free meals created by chef Johnny Esto, to people experiencing disadvantage who unable to leave their homes to purchase fresh produce due to the COVID-19 restrictions. In the delivery pictured above, a meal of jasmine rice and curried pumpkin was complemented by a fresh garden lettuce and parsley salad.

So far 30 meals have been delivered to the Sanctuary at Baptcare and people in West Brunswick, Coburg, Kensington, North Carlton and Brunswick. It is planned that the program will expand to other agencies providing food relief in the inner North area over coming weeks.

Local community rallies around Ignite Food Store

“I am seeing the best of humanity where I’m standing. We’re in an extraordinary situation but I am seeing extraordinary generosity from people motivated by the love of God, of self and of other people.“

Local community, businesses and schools have been providing generous support to keep our Ignite Food Store open, helping it to continue to support the many low income families in Western Sydney who rely on it every week to provide low-cost, high-quality food. 

#WorthASecondChance community check-in: Elle Jackson

#WorthASecondChance campaign manager Jess Sanders recently spoke to ​Elle Jackson, Manager of Justice Programs in the NT. In this conversation Elle shares with us her insights into youth justice in the NT and expands on why raising the age of legal responsibility will change the lives of young people all over Australia.

A COVID-19 breakout in a prison setting should have catastrophic consequences, and Governments across the country must urgently consider the early release of low-level offenders, people on remand, prisoners with chronic health problems, women and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, writes our CEO Julie Edwards at Eureka Street. Read it here.

Local school communities have come together to support our Ignite Food Store in Western Sydney, which continues to provide low-cost groceries to people and families experiencing disadvantage during this challenging time. Read more at Catholic Outlook.

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