A number of our Catholic social services organisations are honouring International Day for People with Disability (IDPD) held on 3 December each year. The theme for IDPD 2018 is  ‘empowering persons with disabilities and insuring inclusiveness and equality’. MacKillop Family Services is celebrating the teamwork that ensures people with a disability get the support they need to be fully included in every aspect of social, educational, economic, political and cultural life.

On 3 December each year we celebrate International Day for People with Disability (IDPWD), a day created by the United Nations back in 1992. It is a great opportunity to share the stories of the people supported by our Catholic social services agencies and the great things they are doing in their lives. This year’s IDPWD themes are empowerment, equality and inclusion. One of our members, Villa Maria Catholic Homes proudly strives to work side-by-side with the people they support to help them achieve all these things.

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Since 1982 Sacred Heart Mission has been proactively supporting people in our community to find shelter, food and care. We recognise everybody is unique and provide tailored services every day of the year to people experiencing homelessness and disadvantage.

Member organisation, Villa Maria Catholic Homes (VMCH) has spent more than 12 months introducing the Montessori practice to improve the lives of people living at our 12 aged care communities across Victoria. Staff at its aged care residences are reporting great outcomes and were able to share these experiences with visitors from Singapore, recently.

It is with great pleasure that we invite you to attend the 2018 Rerum Novarum Oration, Widening the Door of Hope: A Response to the Victorian Assisted Dying Legislation on Tuesday 20 November 2018 at 7pm. The orators are Associate Professor Natasha Michael and Dr Stephen Parnis. Download flyer with full details, here.

Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand’s latest research Outside Systems Control My Life: The experience of single mothers on Welfare to Work was released at the recent 2018 Australian Council Of Social Services National Conference. The report finds that the Welfare to Work policy is not only failing to help single mothers find employment, it is increasing their financial insecurity and eroding their attempts to find work and become self-reliant.

Many women coming to court to get intervention orders against a violent partner have no alternative but to bring their children along, according to a new report released by Ms Felicity Broughton, Deputy Chief Magistrate on behalf of RMIT’s Centre for Innovative Justice (CIJ) and McAuley Community Services for Women.

Jesuit Social Services’ The Men’s Project has launched an Australian-first study involving 1,000 men aged 18 to 30, which shows that young men who comply with society’s pressures to be a ‘real man’ report poorer mental health, are twice as likely to consider suicide, more likely to commit acts of sexual harassment and experience and perform acts of violence and bullying.

All are welcome to join friends and colleagues of Aboriginal Catholic Ministry in commemorating and celebrating 'Our Survival Journey' with the installation of beautiful outdoor artwork capturing the struggle, beauty and hope of our Aboriginal sisters and brothers on Sunday 18 November at 464 St Georges Road, Thornbury. The day commences with Mass at 11am, followed by the blessing of art and installation. Download the flyer, here.