Tuesday 10th March 2020 was a history-making moment in the life of Highways and Byways: A Community of Service and the Missionary Sisters of Service (MSS). They launched their first ever longer-term program of community support, ‘Seeds of Connection, a partnership with Megan Brown of Chandra Yoga and Wellbeing in Roma, Queensland and supported by Jen Coggan of Injune. More than 50 community members gathered at the launch to hear more of the program and to witness the commissioning of Megan and Jen as partners with Highways and Byways by Emeritus Bishop Bill Morris.

JoCare is hosting a Social Isolation and Loneliness forum on Tuesday 31st March, from 9:30am - 12:30pm at St Joseph's Parish Hall, 47 Stanhope Street, Malvern. The forum speakers include Dr Lidia Engel, Health Economist, and Mr Geoff Sharp, Director of Volunteering Victoria. This forum aims to bring together local community groups to begin to work together on small community initiatives to decrease social isolation and loneliness in the local community.

International Women’s Day was marked on Sunday 8th March. Many of our member organisations marked the day with celebrations acknowledging the amazing role of women in their personal lives and in their professional work. The theme for this year’s IWD was Each for Equal, promoting the role each of us have to play in supporting gender equality in society. 

A Make your school slavery-free resource kit was launched in Melbourne yesterday (Thursday February 13) to help students, teachers and staff eliminate slavery from Catholic schools.

VMCH's Carer Support program recently held an event at Coombe Yarra Valley, as an opportunity for the full-time carers to get together, socialise and have some time out from their responsibilities. The program provides events for people who live in Melbourne’s eastern region and care for a loved one with care needs including dementia, disability, chronic condition or illness, or older age-related needs. It is a chance for the carers to take a break and enjoy some time to themselves. Some of the carers have shared why they enjoy being involved.

In a statement released 3 February 2020, the St Vincent de Paul Society (Vinnies) has reiterated that every cent of funds donated to the Bushfire appeal will be spent on people affected by the fires. National President Claire Victory said the Society has dispatched $3.8 million (of $13.7m) so far from the Vinnies Bushfire Appeal, mostly as direct cash payments for bushfire-impacted households in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland and Canberra-Goulburn.