The Catholic Leader - 22 April

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The Catholic Leader, April 22, 2018
News
Carrying on a long tradition of volunteering
vinnies view By chanelle sanderson
Lending a hand: Members of the St Vincent de Paul Society’s No Interest Loans Scheme committee are part of a team helping
poor and disadvantaged people obtain loans to allow them to buy essential white goods.
THE St Vincent de Paul Society is a unique organisation whose
value is in the priceless work carried out by Vincentians (volun-
teer members) and volunteers.
The mission of the society is to see Christ in those who are
helped and to provide “a hand up and not a hand out”.
For more than 185 years, “good works” have been carried out
by Vincentians.
Their spirit and dedication have consistently answered the call
of the poor and needy.
The ongoing and growing success of the society has been that it
has always stayed on course and never deviated from the spirit of
dedication displayed by St Vincent de Paul and Blessed Frederic
Ozanam.
Each day Vincentians measure their success not in key perfor-
mance indicators or dollars but by the ways they have been able
to help.
This help comes in many ways – food, vouchers, goods or per-
haps a kind word and a willing ear to listen.
Every day within the walls of the society, Vincentians carry out
the necessary good works to support the many programs provided
by the society – always aiming to give “a hand up and not a hand
out”.
Some of these good works may be tutoring for refugees through
VoRTCS (Volunteer Refugee Tutoring and Community Support),
or Palm Island Immersion through Vinnies Youth, or in the form
of a loan from the No Interest Loan Scheme (NILS).
These loans are just one of many small yet meaningful ways
Vincentians carry out the society’s mission in helping the poor and
disadvantaged.
These loans truly provide a hand-up to people living on low in-
comes when they need it most, by lending up to $1200 to eligible
recipients to help them buy essential electrical white goods such as
refrigerators and washing machines.
When appliances break down or stop working it can be a cause
for distress and anxiety for people on low incomes, as they start
to worry about where they can store refrigerated food items or
wonder how they will get their washing done, and then grow con-
cerned about how they will find the money to pay for a replace-
ment.
People who receive the loans are required to repay the loans
from as low as $20 per fortnight, ensuring they can get the goods
they need while not greatly impacting their income and their abil-
ity to feed, clothe and house themselves and their families.
Without this service many people on low incomes would simply
go without, miss the deadline to pay other bills, or unfortunately
even turn to a payday lender, further entrenching them into the
cycle of poverty.
NILS loans can be a game changer in the life of a struggling
family and are facilitated through caring Vincentians who ensure
documents required to verify income, expenditure, identification
and loan purpose are provided.
Vincentians also go into homes, hostels, hospitals, prisons and
anywhere there is a person crying out for help.
The Vinnies shops are a common part of our retail landscape,
staffed by wonderful and committed volunteers who take great
pride in giving donated goods a second chance, serving their
customers, and seeing funds return to support vital programs and
services.
Why is this spirit of dedication so contagious?
A Vincentian’s reward is to see the positive changes in the lives
of those they visit – a blessing which often gives them more than
they have given.
In today’s world where most things have little value and eve-
rything seems interchangeable, it is refreshing to see a group of
people who are carrying on a long tradition of volunteering their
time, their skills and their shoulders to those in need.
This spirit of dedication not only changes the lives of the people
Vincentians help, it also binds together a disparate group who are
blessed to be able to reach out to help others.
If you too can see Christ in the needy and would like to provide
a hand up, contact us at
Chanelle Sanderson is the NILS co-ordinator with St Vin-
cent de Paul Society Queensland.
Faith champions
farewell Games
CATHOLIC chaplains Helen
Day and Columban Father Warren
Kinne have been at the forefront of
Catholic evangelisation to a large
portion of the world for the past
few weeks.
Mrs Day, a member of the Coolangatta-
Tugun parish, spent each day as a volunteer
chaplain inside the Commonwealth Games
village on the Gold Coast, offering pastoral care
and support.
Fr Kinne joined chaplains and representa-
tives from 16 religions and faith organisations,
providing services and pastoral care at the ath-
letes’ village – a home away from home for an
estimated 6600 athletes and support staff from
70 Commonwealth countries.
“There will be surprises on the track and in
the pool, and there could well be surprises of
the spirit,” he said before the Games.
The Games came to a close on April 15.
Joyful games: Chaplain Helen Day with members of the Ugandan team before the opening ceremony; and (below) members of Sierra Leone team.