WHO WILL SPEAK?
Michele M. Gierck

When the media publish images of politicians kissing babies and political leaders making a string of promises, chances are there’s an election in the air. But a few months later, when the government is re-elected or a new one installed, it’s time to turn the promises into action—to deliver the goods. Yet who keeps a watchful eye on government, checking what needs to be delivered and how best to target need, particularly when it comes to the most disadvantaged members of society?

That’s where the role of organisations such as Catholic Social Services Victoria (CSSV)—and similar services around Australia—becomes critical. CSSV is a peak Catholic community-welfare body made up of 80 or so member agencies, covering services from housing and aged care to prisoner support and child and family services. What its member agencies have in common, whether large or small, is their work on the ground with vulnerable groups in the community, trying to humanise dehumanising situations: families without a roof over their heads, children in need of care and protection, people with dual disabilities.

The list of organisations providing services and the issues with which they deal is extensive, so too the care and pastoral support offered. Yet what must not be forgotten, says Anne Tuohey, senior policy adviser with CSSV, ‘is that they make a difference to the lives of the people they work with.’

‘The real life of the church is what people are out there doing, helping people on a day-to-day basis. But our role as a peak advocacy organisation is to make sure that the government actually knows the reality—what is happening in the streets, the types of services we are providing, and where the gaps are.’

It seems there are plenty of gaps. Anne believes that part of the Catholic ethos is to try to meet unmet needs, particularly those that are most challenging, the ones which government does not have a program to suit. She adds, ‘That’s where you often get creativity and innovation, but you need an ongoing commitment and resources to maintain the momentum’.

Anne cites the example of mental health. ‘More could be done here’, she says matter-of-factly. ‘When someone has a mental-health related issue and a drug issue, they often fall into a gap, rather than their needs being met more holistically. There’s a long way to go to make sure that those people are supported to make the transition into leading happier and more fulfilled lives in the community.’

CSSV’s role on a range of social issues is in the first instance to get the state government to recognise the degree to which a particular need is not being met by existing services. As such, CSSV relies on accurate research and constructive social policy to support its claims.

CSSV also works ecumenically. It is, for example, an active member of the Inter-Church Gambling Task Force, a joint initiative which has been very effective. ‘There is something fundamentally wrong with government having such a heavy reliance on such a regressive form of tax’, Anne says.

According to fellow ICGTF member and Baptist minister Tim Costello, ‘The Catholic contribution on the Task Force has been excellent; thorough and passionate for social justice initiatives stopping regressive taxes on the poor through gambling.’ He points out that in Victoria 19.5 per cent of state-owned revenue comes from gambling.

Anne believes we need to recognise that there are sections of the community who are really struggling, even if this is not part of the daily reality of what we experience in our own lives. ‘If our lives are guided by a set or moral principles as Christians, then it’s very important that we do think about how we can reach out, and what we can do as individuals and collectively within our own communities, to assist people.’ She adds that, come election time, focusing outside our own needs and thinking about the common good is essential.

‘The need to stand with and reach out to the poor, the lonely, the excluded, that’s where the church is alive and active. When you go to the agencies and see their genuine care for and commitment to the people they support, you realise this is really living out the doctrine of the church.’

For anyone wondering what they might be able to do, Anne has a couple of suggestions. Any under-utilised building on church property may be able to be put to use. CSSV is often looking for such premises for community-based housing initiatives, where the state government will consider the asset as worthy of receiving matched funding. CSSV also has a range of programs people can volunteer for. In Victoria contact Bernadette Reed or Karon Donnellon on 9287 5566

Visit Catholic Social Services Victoria on the Web:
www.css.org.au

Email us about this article

CURRENT ISSUE | ABOUT | ADVERTISING | PREVIOUS ISSUES | LINKS

Reproduction of material from any Jesuit Publications pages
without written prior permission is strictly prohibited.
Copyright 2002 Jesuit Publications
PO Box 553 Richmond VIC 3121 Australia
Tel +61 3 9427 7311, Fax +61 3 9428 4450