1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979
Children & Families
ARC's Holiday Host Program helped families with a crisis or near breakdown to place their children with a host family, preventing many from being placed in children’s homes.
The Victorian Family Day Care Association was formed in Melbourne in August with the coordinator of the BSL’s FDC, Jennie Hollander, being appointed president.
Community issues
Fitzroy-Collingwood Rental Housing Association formed to manage properties purchased by the Housing Commission of Victoria to provide accommodation for low-income people who were being displaced by the increase in property values. Read what was said in 'Action' September 1977
Employment & Training
King Street Job Centre for unemployed people, designed by students at RMIT, officially opened on 28 February as a pilot project until 30 June 1978 at 181 King Street, Melbourne. Established to complement the Commonwealth Employment Service, the aim was "practical demonstration in alternative ways to help the Unemployed". In 14 days over 250 people registered, all with the one purpose of finding a job. Both morning newspapers - The Age and The Sun - supported the Centre with regular columns. Read what was written in 'Action' February 1977
Fundraising & Resources
Brotherhood Bins were introduced Read what was said in 'Action' December 1977
Parkdale Shop opened in June, staffed entirely by members of the Auxiliary. There were now nine auxiliary run shops, with another eleven auxiliaries helping to staff the three Salvage Division's shops.
The annual major fundraising events continued - the Market Fair (Melbourne Town Hall), Village Fair (G.K. Tucker Park) and the Country Fair (St Laurence Park, Lara)
Material & Financial Support
ARC, following success of an earlier incentive saving scheme, set up a Savings and Loan Scheme where families became eligible for a $150 interest free loan after establishing a savings pattern over 16 weeks. Planning began for a credit union with a budgeting service. With the support of the BSL, ARC joined with Fitzroy City Council and other local organisations to form the Fitzroy/ARC Credit Union, commencing on a small scale. This later became the Fitzroy and Carlton Community Credit Cooperative. Read what was said in 'Action' March 1977
BSL donated $20,000 from reserve funds to the Salvation Army during the October 1977 power strike, believing they were the appropriate agency to provide relief
Older People
The first residents (of a total of forty) began moving into Sumner House, the Brotherhood's new hostel for frail aged in Fitzroy Street, Fitzroy in early 1977. Eight units, similar to motel accommodation, had their own toilets and showers for very frail residents; the other thirty-two were in pairs, sharing facilities.
Planning for SPAN - the "self-development program for the aged" began in late 1977. Aged_Care_Projects_1978-6.pdf
People
Connie Benn appointed as BSL's Director of Social Policy, Research & Innovations
Presentations & Publications
Film on the Brotherhood of St Laurence produced by Julie Millowick and James McArdle
BSL's 1977 Annual Report designed by two graphic design students from Caulfield Institute of Technology
Publication of
- Action and Resource Centre review 1976 Joan Benjamin
- Jobs without workers David Griffiths
Refugees & Settlement
Material Aid helped nearly 300 refugee families from Lebanon, Chile, Timor and Cyprus, giving them large quantities of furniture and clothing as "in the majority of cases they had left their homeland with little else but the clothes they were wearing".
Comments (0)
You don't have permission to comment on this page.