Vinnies WA CEO Ann Curran recently swapped her office for the hustle, bustle and heat of the Kelmscott Community Kitchen where she joined the dedicated team of members and volunteers to serve meals. For the past four years, the food relief initiative has offered more than just a hearty meal; it has created a place of safety, hope and warmth where people can connect with others in their comm...

Following the recent conclusion of national Scams Awareness Week (24 – 28 August), the St Vincent de Paul Society is urging Australians to remain vigilant as cybercriminals increasingly use artificial intelligence to impersonate trusted organisations and target people experiencing hardship. St Vincent de Paul Society National President Mark Gaetani said advances in AI were making scams more...

The Society is urging the government to recognise housing as a fundamental human right and to make it a national priority. Photo: Phil Bayne. The St Vincent de Paul Society has used National Homelessness Week (3 - 9 August) to urge the Australian Government to act on this year's theme, Homelessness Action Now by recognising housing as a fundamental human right ...

Compassion means allowing another person's suffering to enter our own heart, Bunbury Bishop George Kolodziej SDS has said. Delivering the homily at the 160th Anniversary Regional Mass of the St Vincent de Paul Society WA held at Our Lady of the Bay Catholic Church, Busselton, Bishop George reflected on the compassion of Christ and the vital role that compassion continues to play in the Soci...

After 19 years of volunteering with Vinnies WA, Bernie said she will miss the many people she has come into contact with. Photo: Vinnies WA. Following the celebration of National Volunteer Week last month (18-24 May), the St Vincent de Paul Society of WA (Vinnies WA) has paid tribute to one of their volunteers who has retired after 19 years of service. In 2007, Bernadette ‘Bernie’ Waugh ...

As National Volunteer Week (18-24 May) calls all Australians to make 2026 ‘Your Year to Volunteer’, the St Vincent de Paul Society is celebrating the extraordinary contribution of its tens of thousands of volunteers amidst a growing challenge - its volunteer numbers are declining, and the average age is rising. The Society’s National President Mark Gaetani said National Volunteer Week gives...

The Federal Budget has drawn a measured but hopeful response from both the St Vincent de Paul Society and Catholic Health Australia who have welcomed reforms they believe could improve the lives of Australians facing housing stress, poverty, illness and ageing. However, both organisations have also warned that much more needs to be done to ensure vulnerable people are not left behind. In a ...

As winter approaches, the St Vincent de Paul Society is calling on Australians to support the Vinnies Winter Appeal 2026, with new data showing the increased depth of financial pressure now facing households already struggling to get by. A new YouGov survey commissioned by St Vincent de Paul Society found more than half of Australians (55 percent) say they have had to reduce spending on ess...

The meeting reignited critical discussions regarding Australia’s housing and homelessness crisis. Photo: Phil Bayne. A recent meeting between Catholic Social Services Australia (CSSA) CEO Dr Jerry Nockles and Ben Rimmer, Director-General of the Housing Group in the Federal Department of Treasury, has reignited critical discussions regarding Australia’s housing and homelessness crisis. Du...

An invitation to listen and to act. Image: Australian Catholic Bishops Conference. Australia’s Catholic bishops have urged courage and tenderness in addressing the nation’s cost-of-living crisis in their latest social justice statement, The Cost of our Living: Economic and Social Justice for the Common Good. “Across Australia, many of our sisters and brothers are burdened by the rising c...