February 2014
Lesley Hooper
Welcome to 2014. The new year gives an opportunity to reflect on the past year at Catholic Social Services. As usual 2013 was a busy year as Catholic Social Services worked with the many who have faced crises in their lives. We have been there to support them as they have built resilience to face the future.
Over the last year we have reflected on our vision of ‘All people live in communities characterised by charity’ and what this means for us at CSS. In the work that we do we recognise that material poverty, psychological wellbeing, and relationship breakdown are affecting many in our community and impacting on their ability to access services.
In 2013 we have continued to have an open door policy to welcome people who are reaching out for help as they struggle to deal with issues around family violence, relationships and parenting, material needs and housing, changes in family structures, work and locations, grief and loss anxiety, and depression.
We have continued to see the effect of violence within families. Our counsellors and social workers have worked alongside individuals who have come to recognise the impact of their violence on their families and have worked on making changes in their lives. This work has often involved supporting other members of the family in dealing with the violence and bringing about positive changes.
CSS social workers have supported people facing problems with housing by being with them and advocating for them with Housing New Zealand and the city council. They have been there for people who have faced health issues when their families are not able to look after them. Catholic Social Services has worked to ensure clients have all the support services they need to be able to return home. Our social workers have worked with many children in some of the local primary schools who have faced issues such as grief and loss, family separation, bullying and anger management.
In 2013, 400 individuals and families and whanau have accessed the services at CSS. We are one of a few social service agencies who provide a low-cost counselling service.
The clients we work with would not have been able to access counselling services elsewhere. Our commitment to being there for the most vulnerable in the community is our way of living our vision. We could not do this without the dedication of a team of social workers and counsellors, supported by our receptionist administrator and, of course, the support of all our funders.
As I have loved you
Catholic Social Services
February 2014
Pope Francis has reminded us in his recently published apostolic letter Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel) that inequality lies at the heart of many social ills and that we are all responsible for people in need.
Archbishop John Dew talks about how Jesus has invited us all ‘to love one another as I have loved you’ (John 13: 34-35). We do this in practical ways, such as:
- Food to the hungry
- Drink to the thirsty
- Welcome to the stranger
- Clothing to the naked, and
- Visiting the sick in person
The charitable work of the church is organised through parishes, Catholic Social Services, hospital and prison chaplains, many religious orders and organisations like St Vincent de Paul and Challenge 2000. Much of this work is done by individuals quietly, generously and unobtrusively.
There are many in our communities, neighbourhoods and parishes who hunger and thirst for human dignity and the necessities of life. Archbishop John asks all of us to reach out to others who are in need. At Catholic Social Services, counsellors and social workers help and support many people in need who come to us every day. Many of you in parishes also do this daily as people turn to you for help. You do it in many different ways – visiting the sick and house-bound, helping refugees settle into your community, visiting people in prison or in hospital, providing food and shelter.
Many of you may not know about what we do at CSS and we don’t know all the things that you all do every day to help and support people in your communities. If we can learn from each other, we will be able to work together.
So, sometime this year, we would love to meet you for a cup of tea and a conversation about what you do in your parishes and communities and what we do at CSS. We can then start to find ways that we can work together.
Imagine what we may be able to do and what a greater difference we could make by coming together. We know there are many passionate people in parishes doing great things and many more who are eager to do something.
If you are interested in coming for a cup of tea, email us or give us a call on (04) 385-8642.
Catholic Social Services
February 2014
On 27 February Catholic Social Services will again be collecting on the streets of Wellington.
This is the day when the people of Wellington make donations to help maintain the services Catholic Social Services provides. The more collectors, the greater the presence and the more money we can raise.
Last year’s Street Day collected about $10,000 which has gone towards funding counselling and social work services. It helped provide more than 80 hours of face-to-face counselling and social work support along with all the additional time and resources to help individuals, families and whanau.
If you have an hour to spare on 27 February and are happy to stand on a Wellington street with a CSS bucket, email or give us a call on (04) 385 8642. We start at 7am and finish at 3pm in the inner city, Newtown, Kilbirnie, Khandallah and Petone.
CSS looking into the core
Catholic Social Services
February 2014
Dave Mullin
Late in 2013 Catholic Social Services manager Lesley Hooper and I were privileged to meet Marika Kontellis and Gary Jacobson of Sakumi Consulting, Sydney.
Consultants in the not-for-profit sector, Marika and Gary were in Wellington to experience other contexts and responses in which social services organisations operate. We discussed many issues concerning the vision and purpose of an organisation.
They told us that decision-making frameworks must align with articulated vision and purpose. Such a framework relates to what we do and how we do it, flowing from the organisation’s vision and objectives.
Although this seems self-evident every organisa
tion, every individual needs to ensure that what it does and how are aligned with its vision. Pope Francis outlined the idea of alignment this way:
‘What is needed is the ability to cultivate an inner space which can give a Christian meaning to commitment and activity.’ (Evangelii Gaudium, 2013) We are encouraged to undertake an inner as well as an outer journey.
To be forward-looking we must be focused on meaning. This means that we participate with communities and with people. In fact the participation is as important as the planning.
‘The world asks that we focus less on how we can coerce something to make it conform to our designs and more on how we can engage with one another, how we can enter into the experience and then notice what comes forth. It asks that we participate more than plan.’ (Margaret Wheatley and Myron Kellner–Rogers, A Simpler Way, 1996)
Our vision is that all people live in communities characterised by charity. Catholic Social Services looks forward to continuing, through our professional social work and counselling services, to respond to those in need.
We look forward to working with parishes and others to provide Catholic social services in all its forms. We anticipate further developing relationships with those organisations and funders with whom we have worked for many years.
We look forward to exploring within ourselves, with those we work with and with our partner organisations new and varied ways of being with and for others, especially the poor.
As we enter 2014, we look forward to participating with you on the journey.
CSS in schools
Catholic Social Services
February 2014
Governor-General Sir Jerry Mateparae said in his New Year message: ‘The care we provide to our most vulnerable citizens – our
children – is a barometer of the wellbeing of our families and our society.’
CSS social workers are constantly reminded while working in schools that children are indeed among those most susceptible to the outcome of adults’ decisions. Often we were able to meet parents and discuss their many good decisions. The impact of these decisions can often be longlasting.
In the past year we have supported children who are working through a variety of difficulties.
Such issues include:
- learning how to express anger safely
- being a victim or perpetrator of bullying (including cyber and text-bullying)
- having low self-esteem
- engaging in deliberate self-harm
- experiencing suicidal feelings
- parental separation/divorce
- family violence (either as victim or witness)
- family poverty (low-paid workers as well as those receiving a Work & Income benefit)
- having a parent/caregiver with addictive behaviours
- exposure to other forms of violence, for example, electronic games and movies
- lack of parental knowledge regarding children’s access to the Internet and various social media programmes
- having a parent/caregiver with a mental health diagnosis.
Despite such issues, the team have been heartened to hear the children express ways we have been able to support them.
- ‘I’d like to thank you for the time you’ve listened to me when no-one else did’ (13-year-old),
- ‘Thank you for helping me with my anger; you have given me some good ideas to work through’ (10–year-old),
- ‘Thank you for helping me feel better about missing my dad’ (9-year-old).
And the illustration drawn by a 9-year-old speaks a thousand words.
We would like to thank the principals and staff of the schools we have visited; we have always been made to feel welcome, and a valued part of the school team.
Catholic Social Services
February 2014
Each year we approach Christmas with eager anticipation. But, for some families and individuals, the thought of Christmas does not bring the same anticipation.
Some parents dread not being able to give their children presents or a special meal on Christmas day.
At Catholic Social Services we know we will be able to give something special to the families and the people with whom we work because each year our parishes inundate us with gifts for us to distribute.
Catholic Social Services would like to say a BIG heartfelt ‘thank you’ to all those parishes who gave so generously in December 2013.
Farewell
Catholic Social Services
February 2014
Karen Horrocks is leaving us after nearly four years as a member of the counselling team. Over this time Karen has helped many individuals and couples to make positive changes in their lives.
We thank Karen for all that she has done and wish her well for the future.
Part of Courtney’s Gap Year at Challenge 2000 entailed gaining work experience at another social service agency. Courtney soon picked up the reception work, always welcoming the clients with a warm smile which made them feel at home. Her IT skills were a real bonus – she was able to help some us to hone our skills on the computer to make our lives easier.
It was wonderful to have such gifted young women with us over the year and we wish them both well as they move on to the new phases in their lives.