Twenty years of practical and compassionate assistance
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Sisters of Charity, donors, community groups, and scholarship recipients will gather at St Vincent’s Chapel in Sydney’s Potts Point on Monday, February 24 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Sisters of Charity Foundation.
Bishop Terence Brady and Father Darryl Mackie will celebrate the Mass of Thanksgiving, which will be followed by a reception at the Sisters of Charity Heritage Centre.
In the 20 years since the Sisters of Charity Foundation was created to carry on the legacy of the Sisters of Charity, the Foundation has responded creatively to the needs of the poor and marginalised through several programs.
The Foundation funds dozens of community projects every year which receive little or no funding from other sources. Since 2000, the Foundation has provided more than $8 million to more than 850 projects across Australia assisting people living with disabilities, at-risk youth, Indigenous Australians, refugees, the homeless, the poor and disadvantaged, prison-affected families and other innovative community projects.
Since 2012, the Foundation has run a tertiary scholarship program to empower dedicated students from out-of-home care backgrounds to transform their lives through education. Currently the Foundation offers scholarships at nine universities and TAFE campuses.
The Asylum Seekers Housing Program was created in 2014 in celebration of the Sisters of Charity’s 175-year anniversary in Australia. Working in partnership with the Asylum Seekers Centre, the Foundation provides safe accommodation and welfare services to dozens of displaced persons every year.
Now, as the Foundation celebrates its 20 year anniversary, a new initiative is underway. In partnership with Salvos Housing and the Salvation Army, the Foundation will be providing good quality, safe, transitional housing for survivors of modern slavery. The Anti-Slavery Housing Program will be launched on Friday, February 21 at an event attended by the Governor- General, the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd), just ahead of the anniversary celebrations.
Sisters of Charity Foundation CEO, Reba Meagher, said the anniversary is a time for reflection as well as a chance to look to the future.
“The Foundation was established in 2000 by the Sisters of Charity with a clear vision to expand upon and continue their social justice works in the future and we’re grateful to have the opportunity to change so many lives through our programs. This celebration of the Congregation’s vision energises us to do more and to seek new ways to support disadvantaged and socially isolated people in our community.”
Image: The Bread and Butter project, supported by the Sisters of Charity Foundation
Find video created to celebrate the anniversary here.