Background
JCA was started in 1986 by a dynamic Josephite sister, Maria Sullivan, who appealed to friends for support, then went out and gathered a group of committed young volunteers to help her carry out her vision of friendship with people who were isolated by poverty. Being a volunteer run organisation, JCA is an invitation to young people to really live out a selfless commitment to people who are poor and marginalised.
JCA provides practical help to people who are struggling to help themselves. They aim to empower those in unfortunate circumstance to become self supporting in their own lives. They bring together the exceptional talents and gifts of young people to meet the needs of those living in poverty with real assistance and genuine giving. Not only does this connection give life to the people that JCA helps but it offers an outstanding opportunity for growth and leadership to the young people involved.
JCA is independent and, therefore, relies totally on volunteers and the extremely generous support of friends and benefactors who give so willingly to their work.
Who do they help?
Many people in Sydney live with significant financial poverty. They seek out these people and try to help them in any way they can. This means helping them to help themselves, remaining supportive of those who are at the lower end of the social or economic bracket, and always offering friendship and care.
Amongst the many people that JCA works with, most are refugees. Many people come to Australia because they are insufferably persecuted in their own countries. With their families, they come to our country to start a new life. When they first arrive, they have many difficulties to face: often they can’t speak English, they have little or no money, they have no friends, they don’t know the Australian systems and they feel isolated and lost.
JCA visits these families, helps them to contact other people from the same community and assists in practical ways such as helping with English or with clothes or furniture. Above all, they offer friendship to people who feel very alone when they first arrive.
Many refugees and asylum seekers, as well as people with mental disabilities have come to know JCA through very simple things like a visit to their home, helping to cook a meal or being part of a weekend away. Experiences like these lift the spirits of new arrivals and lonely people who find comfort in the welcome, friendship and hospitality that is JCA.
Some of the projects they provide include:
Read more at their website:
http://jcaid.com/about/
by Jess and Molly
JCA was started in 1986 by a dynamic Josephite sister, Maria Sullivan, who appealed to friends for support, then went out and gathered a group of committed young volunteers to help her carry out her vision of friendship with people who were isolated by poverty. Being a volunteer run organisation, JCA is an invitation to young people to really live out a selfless commitment to people who are poor and marginalised.
JCA provides practical help to people who are struggling to help themselves. They aim to empower those in unfortunate circumstance to become self supporting in their own lives. They bring together the exceptional talents and gifts of young people to meet the needs of those living in poverty with real assistance and genuine giving. Not only does this connection give life to the people that JCA helps but it offers an outstanding opportunity for growth and leadership to the young people involved.
JCA is independent and, therefore, relies totally on volunteers and the extremely generous support of friends and benefactors who give so willingly to their work.
Who do they help?
Many people in Sydney live with significant financial poverty. They seek out these people and try to help them in any way they can. This means helping them to help themselves, remaining supportive of those who are at the lower end of the social or economic bracket, and always offering friendship and care.
Amongst the many people that JCA works with, most are refugees. Many people come to Australia because they are insufferably persecuted in their own countries. With their families, they come to our country to start a new life. When they first arrive, they have many difficulties to face: often they can’t speak English, they have little or no money, they have no friends, they don’t know the Australian systems and they feel isolated and lost.
JCA visits these families, helps them to contact other people from the same community and assists in practical ways such as helping with English or with clothes or furniture. Above all, they offer friendship to people who feel very alone when they first arrive.
Many refugees and asylum seekers, as well as people with mental disabilities have come to know JCA through very simple things like a visit to their home, helping to cook a meal or being part of a weekend away. Experiences like these lift the spirits of new arrivals and lonely people who find comfort in the welcome, friendship and hospitality that is JCA.
Some of the projects they provide include:
- Homework tutoring for children from refugee backgrounds
- Women’s group- A skill development program
- Taking refugee families on weekends away to relieve some of the daily stresses they are faced with
- School holiday programs
- Providing the poor with basic necessities
- Christmas hampers
Read more at their website:
http://jcaid.com/about/
by Jess and Molly
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