Brotherhood of St Laurence | Community organisation

Brotherhood of St Laurence

Phone: 03 9483 1183

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• Non-profit organisation
• Charitable organisation
• Community organisation
• Charity organisation

21.01.2022 This morning, we were humbled to celebrate International Women’s Day, surrounded by incredible women at Business Chicks’ annual event. For the fourth year in a row, Business Chicks nominated our program, Stepping Stones to Small Business as their charity of the event, celebrating the program participants’ achievements. Our program is tailored for women from refugee, migrant and asylum-seeking backgrounds. It provides women from multicultural backgrounds training and mentor g...uidance to achieve financial independence and well-being by starting a small business. We were also fortunate enough to hear from three beautifully diverse speakers who shared their inspirational stories with us. Each phenomenal woman’s story focused on equality and their individual choice to challenge the status quo. Thank you for sharing your words of wisdom with us Wendy McCarthy, Nyadol Nyuon and Kelly Cartwright and to the incredible team at Business Chicks for inviting us. It was an unforgettable experience, and we appreciate your ongoing support. #InternationalWomensDay #IWD2021 #WomenLead

09.01.2022 This week we are celebrating International Women’s Day #IWD2021 by spotlighting influential women throughout BSL’s 90-year history. Jessica Sumner was a passionate welfare campaigner who worked at BSL for 30+ years. She started out as a cook and carer at our Fitzroy Coolibah Club, which at the time provided male pensioners with hot meals and refuge. It wasn’t long before Jessica introduced women into what had hitherto been a club ‘for men only’. Alongside BSL founder, Fat...her Gerard Tucker, Jessica worked to help those less fortunate during the Depression in the 1930s, participating in sit-ins at homes of tenants, for days on end at times, to prevent eviction. Throughout the late 1940s and the 1950s, Jessica fought for pension increases for aged pensioners, caring for those she worked with, whom society had forgotten. BSL opened Sumner House an aged care residence located in Fitzroy to pay tribute to Jessica’s ongoing support and many years of service, assisting older people and ensuring they could live with dignity. Read more stories like this on our website about the incredible women who helped to create lasting change in our society. #InternationalWomensDay #WomenLead #GenerationEquality

06.01.2022 In celebration of International Women’s Day #IWD2021, we’re highlighting influential women throughout BSL’s 90-year history, whose contributions helped create a more equal, inclusive and compassionate society and embody the theme of #WomenLead. One such woman is Connie Benn who joined BSL in 1971 and is remembered as one of Melbourne’s most experienced social workers. During her time at BSL, Connie led the Family Centre project, which was based on the belief that the diffi...culties faced by people experiencing poverty were the result of society denying them the opportunity to participate fully rather than simply the result of personal failures. Connie’s innovative work assisting families helped in changing the community development and welfare models of social work in Australia. Her devotion to the cause saw her become BSL’s first female Board Member, made her a member of the Order of Australia and earned her a position on the Victorian Honour Roll of Women. In honour of her legacy, BSL and Yarra City Council opened the Connie Benn Centre in Fitzroy, offering support to family and children living in the local community. Click now to discover more about key women in BSL’s 90-year history. #InternationalWomensDay #WomenLead #GenerationEquality

06.01.2022 Great to see our wonderful and successful early learning and parenting program, HIPPY, in the news. HIPPY Australia (Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters) provides parents with the tools, knowledge and confidence to take responsibility for their children’s learning at home. It focuses on children from low-income households aged 4 and 5 and involves tutors conducting home visits and also group meetings. If you’d like to learn more about the program and check eligibility requirements, please visit https://hippyaustralia.bsl.org.au/

05.01.2022 Yesterday we said farewell to our Executive Director, Conny Lenneberg, as she steps down from her role after three years of wonderful service to BSL. With Conny’s departure, Lucia Boxelaar steps in as Acting Executive Director.... Conny joined BSL in January 2018 as our first-ever female Executive Director of BSL. A passionate and vocal leader, Conny has led our organisation with abundant energy and conviction, speaking out on social justice issues and advocating for those most in need. She has strengthened BSL’s focus on creating lasting change and invested in building our organisation's capabilities so that we can better serve the community. This in turn has helped BSL pivot during this COVID crisis to maintain face-to-face service delivery, and meet the needs of program participants and aged care residents. Conny ensured BSL’s response to the pandemic was to step up, not retreat. What we love about Conny is her warmth and approachable nature. Her humanity and compassion, together with her visionary leadership, inspires so many of us. After a year of personal health challenges, we’re happy that Conny is now well and ensuring she takes time out to prioritise her health. Conny, we’ll miss you! From your BSL family, we wish you all the best as you take the next steps in your life journey. We can’t wait to see where your next steps lead, but we know you’ll always keep close as one of our passionate BSL supporters!