Others Magazine

“These people were kind enough to tell us about their experiences with substances ... and how Harry Hunter is helping them to turn their lives around,” shared student Alyssa. The students were so inspired by their visit, they even sent a birthday card to a former resident (now volunteer) Duncan after their trip.

“We get to create these opportunities for students to practise healthy communities with all members of our community, opportunities to learn and practise care and compassion for each other,” said Peter Vernon, Schools Engagement Manager for WA. “It is a great privilege to be able to offer these experiences. And whilst the booklets were useful, it’s the little things like this that inspire me most about the work we get to do as a program.”

Cooking up a storm in Inverell

Meals ready to be distributed in the Inverell community.

Inverell Corps in Northern NSW recently held its second cook-up session, making more than 80 meals to give out to the community.

“Pre-lockdown, we always had a dream and desire to be able to do more cook-ups for meals that we can freeze and have ready meals in our welfare space,” said Cadet Cindy Roehrig. “A great percentage of the community we assist don’t have access to cooking facilities other than a microwave, and we wanted something more filling and healthier than a cup of noodles to give them.”

Cindy said the corps had now held two cook-up days to meet an increasing need for meals. “We’ve done this at minimal cost to us, thanks to our partnership with Woolworths, who pretty much supplies all the protein,” she said. “This time around, we produced 87 meals. We have already given out most of the meals from the previous cook up and will continue to top this up as we can.”

Hailstorm assistance continues on Mid North Coast

Offering disaster assistance to the Toormina community.

The Salvation Army Emergency Services Winnebago arrived in Toormina, a Coffs Harbour suburb, this week following the hailstorm that struck the Mid North Coast last month.

It is now set up in the Recovery Centre car park to enable staff to provide disaster assistance to the community.

To date, the Army has helped 63 families and distributed $26,030 in financial assistance ($10,650 in Woolworths vouchers and $15,380 in financial grants).

After this week, assistance is to be offered remotely.

Cafe brings churches and community together

Volunteer Jeanette Dohnt chats with a member of the community at the Victor Harbor Corps Brunch @ The Salvos.

Victor Harbor Corps and another church in the South Australian coastal town, What If Church, have partnered to offer food, worship, prayer, and scripture each fortnight in a relaxed, cafe-style atmosphere. Called Soul Cafe, the ministry aims to be “an intentional connection point” for the people of both congregations and the wider community.

Victor Harbor Corps Officer Captain Nathan Hodges said What If Church had a regular ministry at the town’s Beachside Markets but wanted “a church environment” to invite people to discover more about God.

Nathan said Soul Cafe complimented the corps Brunch @ The Salvos initiative, which was run in partnership with Doorways each Friday. He said both initiatives enabled corps folk and volunteers to meet with community members in a safe environment to share a meal, coffee and conversation.

“Brunch is a place of connection that runs alongside our emergency relief program on a Friday,” Nathan said. “It’s just not limited to those who come for relief. We see a lot of people in the community that are lonely. They’re isolated, they don’t have other friends ... and so we want to create a place of connection; a safe place where people can come, have something to eat or drink and sit around and chat. We have volunteers in that space who are intentional about doing relationship and having spiritual conversations.”

The Brunch menu, which often includes toasted sandwiches, pancakes, bacon and eggs and fruit salad, changes each week. “It’s never quite the same,” Nathan said. “And we have ‘proper’ coffee too, made by volunteers who are trained baristas.”

Up to 50 people have been attending Brunch each week since the initiative began about two months ago. Up to 20 people have been attending Soul Cafe. Nathan said Brunch and Soul Cafe were introduced simultaneously, and some people from the community have been attending both events. Along with the meal, Soul Cafe includes a time of Bible reflection where scripture is discussed at the tables. Worship music is sung as well as played on a screen in the cafe

Army moves forward with reverse calendars

Throughout November across the Australia Territory, The Salvation Army’s mission and ministry expressions are joining the worldwide phenomenon that is a reverse advent calendar. Some centres have become involved for the first time this year.

A reverse advent calendar is not a traditional advent calendar (mainly in that it is not run in December and is not about opening a box or lifting a flap to receive a mini gift or chocolate) but is about giving and putting aside a non-perishable item from a prepared list. From cans of spaghetti to boxes of bonbons, the list gives people an idea for each day. The need to have the reverse advent calendar in November is so that the food and Christmas items can be collected by the end of the month to be distributed before Christmas.

Major Glenda Savage, Corps Officer at Arndale in suburban Adelaide, said she introduced the initiative this year, with several businesses and aged care centres in the community becoming involved.

Glenda said apart from a substantial meat item, the calendar gathered a range of “everything a family would need for Christmas”. She said people would put the items in a box each day during the month and at the end would have a well-stocked Christmas hamper that could then be handed out to vulnerable families connected to the Army.

Arndale Corps received a large donation of Christmas cakes, which it would be adding to the hampers along with Christmas wrapping paper.