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EDITION 2 FEBRUARY 2017

INSIDE THIS EDITION

FromGrowthtoSustainability:2016yearinreviewandlookingforwardto2017ProgramReviews:MessClub,HolidayProgram&HMSocialResearchUnitSeekingAsylum:DeliveriestoManusandNauruFoodforThought:PartnershipsandGrowthEditorial:CultivatingResilience

KEY DATES

March25th&June3rdAsylumSeekerBenefitConcert,ChristchurchKensington,76McCrackenst.5pmMay8th-14thNationalVolunteerWeekJune19th-25thNationalRefugeeWeekJuly15thWeightoftheWorld:YouthVisualArtExhibitionandfundraiser@KensingtonTownHall

hothammission.org.au

hothammission.org.au

TheHothamHeraldMastheadhasbeendesignedbyEmily

fromMessClub

(03) 9326 8245

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“From a Small Seed a Mighty Trunk May Grow”

There isacertainbeauty in small things.Small canbeagile. It canbe flexible.Asa rule, small creatures

generallyrequirelessenergytomoveandfunctioneffectivelythanotherbigandcumbersomeentities.Smallcan be intricate and detailed, and it can also be exquisite in its simplicity. And small can also possesstremendouspower.It’s a common folly that some people assume that being small equates insignificance or inefficacy, thatsomehowbecauseofaparticularentity’srestrictedstatureitisincapableofrealimpact.Consider for a moment the Irukandji jellyfish – a tiny marine stinger endemic to the warm waters ofAustralia’snortherncoasts.Itisnobiggerthanahumanthumbnailandyetitpossessesavenomthatis100timesstronger thanacobra,and1000timesmorepotentthanatarantulabite,andis capableofkillinganadultinlessthan30minutes.OrreflectinsteadontheamazingRufoushummingbird–oneoftheworld’ssmallestbirdswhichgrowsuptoamere8cm in lengthandweighsabout2.5grams.Despite itsdiminutivesize, it can flyat speedsofup to54km/h and travels an extraordinary distance of 6200 km for its annualmigration fromAlaska toMexico,makingitoneofthefurthesttravellingmigratorybirdsintheworld.Atinybirdonly8cmlong,weighinglessthana20centpiece,travellinga12000kmround-trip…everyyear.Andthen there’sthePenicilium fungi–themicroscopicsporouspowder-likefungi thatgrows inmoistsoilsand rotting organicmatter andwas considered littlemore than a peskymould that spoilt one’s fruit andvegetables – thatwas until Scottish Scientist, Sir Alexander Fleming, discovered its antibiotic properties in1928andbegan theprocessofmanufacturing thedrugpenicillin for the treatmentof infections. That tinygreen and white mould found inhabiting the bottom of the domestic fruit bowl was one of the greatestmedical discoveries of all time and continues to be creditedwith savingmillions of livesworldwide, everysingleyear.Herearethreeexamplesofverysmalllifeformscapableofremarkablethings,eachwithuniqueandtruly significantabilities.Andit isamongthisclassof smallandyet invaluablewee things thatHothamMissioncanbecounted.HothamMission – whose history is rooted in the benevolent institution of the formerMethodistMissionbasedontopofHothamHill (nowknownasNorthMelbourne),beganits journeysupportingdown-and-outmothersand impoverishedchildrensufferingthethroesof life intheDepression-eraurbanslums.Today, itremainstruetoitsheritageandiscomprisedofasmall,single-digitteamofdedicatedindividualscommittedto creating positive change, tangible impact and real opportunities for some of Melbourne’s mostdisadvantaged, marginalised and vulnerable young people and their families. Driving this small team is apowerful engineof volunteers, generous benefactors, committed congregations, an enthusiastic governingBoardandastrategicandpassionatesenseofequalityandempowermentforthosewithwhomwework.Andtheseeds,whichhavebeensownbythiscommittedtinycrew,arereapingarichharvest.In 2015, Hotham Mission supported some 200 young people and their families across a broad range ofprograms and partnerships with other agencies. These included the various holiday programs, homeworkclubs, early intervention andpreventionprograms, food security initiatives, asylumseeker accommodationandadvocacysupport,andprogramsdeliveredbyotherservicesproviderssupportedbyHothamMission.Asweexpandedour reach to touchmore localagencies,schoolsandyouth-focusedorganisations,we refinedour approach and honed our operations to ensure greater access to resources, improved delivery ofprograms,anddedicatedourselvestoprovidingrelevantandeffectivesupportstothosewhoneededitmost.

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…continued

In2016,thisrenewedapproachsawanexpansioninthelevelofimpactthatourlittleMissionhashadonthelocalcommunity.Thenumberofyoungpeopleandtheirfamilies,towhomweprovidedsupportand opportunity, has doubled to nearly 500 youngpeople and their families. The Food for Thoughtnutritional support program jumped from 15 fresh food parcels delivered to schools and serviceproviderseachweekto70,feedingonaverage250-300peopleaweek.Manyoftheseyoungpeoplecome frommigrant backgrounds, someareyoungmums, others are unaccompaniedminors, and allare experiencing food insecurity. The Hotham Mission subsidised lunch voucher system, whichoperatesoutof localhighschools,sawthenumberofvouchers issuedin2016rise from344to492.That’s nearly 500hungry high school studentswhowouldotherwise bewithout adequate access tohealthyfoodeachweek.Closeto50studentsreceivedsupportthroughtheRenshawEducationSupportprogramwhichhelpstopurchase textbooksandmaterialsforyoungpeoplewhoarecontinuingtheireducation,and20kidsreceivedtransitionalsupportthroughourhomeworkclubandMessClubprograms.Ourpartnershipswithvital localorganisationssuchas theKensingtonAdventure Playground (otherwiseknownas theVenny), Kensington Neighbourhood House and the Somali Women’s Development Agency, andLentara’sAsylumSeekerProject,hasreachedinnumerablevulnerableandmarginalisedyoungpeopleand their families, including asylum seekers, refugees and socially disadvantaged migrant families.Furthermore,HothamMission’snewly institutedSocialResearchUnit continues to carryoutexcitingresearchintotheimpact,incidenceandprevalenceoffoodinsecurityamongstyouthinthecity’sinnerNorthWest.Werackedupmorevolunteerhoursthaneverbefore–12,000collectivehours–andhaveexpandedourfundingbaseto includesupportfromtheCityofMelbourne,RACV,theCatoTrust,theJackBrockhoffFoundation,theUnitingCareShareAppeal,andgenerousdonationsfromGlenWaverlyUnitingChurch,IvanhoeGrammarSchoolandmanyothers.In2017,HothamMissionisdedicatedtocontinuingthevaluableworkwedoinourlocalcommunity.Wearenotalargeorganisationandwehavenofancytrappings,noshinynewbuildings,noelaborateconference rooms, comfy couches or expensive coffee machines. We do not have the luxury of amassive marketing team and commercial resources, however we are blessed with a wonderfullydedicatedgroupofvolunteersandparttimestaffwithgenuinepassiontomoveourmountains.Ourcurrency isoneofopportunity–workingwithyoungpeopleandtheirfamilies togive themthebestchancepossibletoself-actualise,torecognisetheirpotentialandtofulfilitwithouttheaddedstressofchronicfoodinsecurity,lackofsocialsupportsandfinancialconstraints.In2017,thesmallMissionwhichsitsatoptheoldHothamHillwillcontinuetodoitsinvaluablework,alwayssupportedbythevolunteerswhowillalwaysbeintegraltooursuccess.Wearesmall,butweareagile,weareresponsive,wearecreative,andaboveallelse,wearecapableofgreatthings,allofwhichadduptoacommunityimpactwhichistruly,nosmallfeat.Asthe19thcenturypoetandauthorGeorge Eliot stated, “Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things broughttogether.”

BethStewart-Wright,ProgramsManager

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Program Update: Mess Club

Holiday Program

MessClub is a response to theurgent need for practical interventionapproaches targetingyoungpeople atrisk.Mess Clubwill continue to runweekly in our newhomeat theKensingtonNeighborhoodCentrewhichwillenableour students tocook inacommercialkitchen,plantherbsandvegetables inacommunitygarden,aswellasplayandlearninacleanandsafeenvironment.Thisyearwe’realllookingforwardtomoreexcursions,morecookingandmore(scientifically informed)explosions!Withacommittedandextremelytalentedgroupofvolunteers,weareexcitedtoseewhere2017takesas.

Theendof2016broughttoanendthepilotphase of theMess Club program: an after-school program specifically focused onempowerment-based learning anddevelopmentforyoungpeopleingrades6-8who may experience difficulty adjusting tothe transition into high school, and whostruggle to connect with formalisededucationprocesses.

AtMess Club we play soccer to bond, work on healthycommunication strategies, and to decompress after adistressing or over-stimulating event. Playing soccerprovides students with an opportunity to developleadership and resilience and strengthen communicationskills.

Other excursions on the holiday program included lasertag and bowling. Strangely enough, shooting their co-ordinatorrepeatedlywithlaserswasahighlightformanyofthekids.

Thisyear, the12KensingtonMessClub kids banded togetherto choose a number of excursions that would make up ourHolidayProgramovertheJanuaryholidays.Melbourne City Football Club, providing us withcomplimentaryboundaryseatsaswellasdeckingthekidsoutin the latest gear, proudly sponsored one of our activities,whichwasanexcursiontoasoccergameatAAMIPark.Forallof the studentswho attended thematch, this was their firsttimeattendingaprofessionalgame.Asavidsoccerfans,Itwasgreat that the kids had the opportunity to feel part of aMelbourne’ssoccercommunity.

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Usingfocusgroupsandsurveysatseveralhighschoolsandyouthorganizations, the team is currently engaged in data collection.Thisphaseoftheresearchprojectissettocontinueforthefirstfewmonthsof2017,afterwhich,dataanalysiswill commence,anda reportof the team’s findingswillbemadeavailable.Theresearch results will be used to inform food program deliverypractices and strategies relevant to young people, as well asmuch needed policies around food security in the city ofMelbourne.

Kaljar Kitchen

HothamMissionandtheSomaliWomen’sDevelopmentAssociationhavejoinedforcesonarangeofprojectsin2016.

On October 7, SWDA chair, Sainab (pictured), and ProgramsManager, Beth, received a cheque from the RACV for $20,000 todeveloptheKaljarKitchenproject.HMandSWDAarepartneringonthe project which aims to provide training and support acrossculturalandlinguisticboundariesthroughfood.

Kaljar is the Somaliword forculture,and theprojectwilldeliverhospitality training andcertification fordisadvantaged and marginalised women, as well as link them in with employment pathways such asapprenticeshipprogramsandfurthereducationandtraininginthehospitalitysector.

TheprogramwillruninNorthMelbournein2017andisopentoyoungpeoplefrom16-21yearsofage.

Introducing our Social Research Unit

TheHothamMissionSocialResearchUnitwasestablishedin2016,andis charged with the implementation of the UCHM Food SecurityResearchProject, currently being conducted amongst youngpeople inthe northern suburbs ofMelbourne. InitiatedbyBeth Stewart-Wright,Programs Manager at UCHM, the research unit comprises a team ofvoluntary researchers from fields of expertise including anthropology,publichealth,publicpolicyandmanagement,andyouthwork.

TaniaBuck,SocialResearchUnitVolunteer

Aboveright:SainabwithForeignMinisterJulieBishopattheDFATPolicyStrategylaunchin2016

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Chasing Asylum Community Screening

InAugustof2016,UnitingCareHothamMissionhostedaspecial community screening of the documentary“Chasing Asylum” followed by a panel discussion withpoliticalandcommunityleaders.

The screening of this film was not intended to be afundraiser, althoughweare very grateful to thosewhochosetomakeadonationonthenight.

UnitingCareHothamMissionhavesought andobtainedpermission from the Department of Immigration andBorderProtectiontosendsomebasicsuppliestoasylumseekersandrefugeesonManusandNauruIslands.The items we have sent are flip-flops, because of theharsh andunacceptable reality thatmanypeople don’thave suitable footwear in the harsh environment inwhich they are detained; writing paper; and colouringpencilsandbooks.

WearedelightedthatBigWCarindale(Brisbane)wasabletoassistbyfacilitatingthepurchaseanddeliveryoftheitemstoBrisbaneairport,fromwheretheywerefreightedtoNauruonDecember31andtoManusIslandon13January.Thedeliveryincludedappropriatefootwear,kidsgamesandtoys,exercisebooks,penandpencils.

Manythankstoallofthesupportandfeedbackwereceivedfromthe180peoplewhoattendedonthenight.ThescreeningwasfollowedbyalivelyandinsightfulQandAwithourguestpanellists,AdamBandt(FederalGreensMPforMelbourne);SainabSheikh(ChairoftheSomaliWomen'sDevelopmentAssociation);MohammedIsah(ManageroftheAsylumSeekerProjectinBrunswick),andBarakatRezaie(ThefirstAfghan-HazaraAustraliantobeadmittedtotheVictoriaBarAssociation).

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Put a Brick on Our Head (‘cos we’re growin’)!

ThisyearwehavebeentrulyhumbledbythelevelofcommunitysupportfortheFoodforThoughtprogram,whicheveryweekdeliversover60parcelsoffreshandhealthyfoodtokidsandfamiliesintheNorthMelbourne,KensingtonandAscotValearea.FoodparcelsaremadeatHothamHQ,andarethendeliveredbyourbandofcommunityvolunteers,manybeingstudentsfromlocalschools,tohighschoolsandyouthcentresinthearea.Theparcelsareaimedatnotonlyprovidingthekidswiththeenergytoflourishinandoutofschool,butalsogivethemasenseofautonomyatbeingabletocontributetothehousehold.

JAN2016

• 19kids&families• 1school• 2suppliers

JAN2017

• 68kids&families• 2schools• 1communityyouthorganisaqon• 4suppliers

Wewouldliketoacknowledgeandsincerelythankthefollowingcommunitiesandorganisationswhohavebandedtogethertoassistinthegrowthofthisprogram.Withyourhelp,wecanensurethatfewerchildreninourcommunitygowithoutfood.

Food Bank Victoria SecondBite O’Shannassy st Community Garden … and individual donors everywhere!

Mark the Evangelist, North Melbourne OzHarvest

St Mary’s Anglican Church, North Melbourne Christ Church Kensington

Burwood Uniting Church Victoria Police, North Melbourne Police Station

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Imagescourtesyofvincentcare.org.au

Thisyear,HothamMission’sFoodforThoughtprogramhasnotonlygrown8-foldintermsofthenumberofyoungpeopleassisted,buthasmadeaconcertedefforttoinvolvemembersofthecommunitieswhoreceivetheweekly packages in themakingof theparcels themselves. Students fromSt Joseph’s FlexibleLearningCentre aswell as SimmondsCollege volunteerwith usweekly tomake and deliver packages of food andessentialhealthcareproductstomembersoftheirownschools.As part of a continued effort to expand the program and involve more community members, HothamMissionisteamingupwithVincentCareVictoriato involvetheirclientvolunteersfromOzanamCommunityCentre (OCC) in our weekly operation. The client volunteers from OCC are people of different ages andbackgrounds who have faced issues relating to homelessness or housing insecurity. They frequent thecommunitycentre regularlywhichoffers housing support, healthcare, aswell as daily breakfasts, lunches,andfoodparcels.

Food for Thought: VincentCare Partnership

The benefits of engaging client volunteersareimmense.FromUCHM’sperspective,thisproposal solidifies a partnership withVincentCare Victoria, the leadingorganisation inhomelessness services in theNorth Melbourne area. For the clientsthemselves,thisprogrambuildsonskillstheyalreadyhavebut ina newenvironment andwithanewcohort.

ApillaroftheFoodforThoughtprogram,andwhatmakesitdifferentfromatraditionalfoodemergencyprogram,isthatmembersfromthecommunitiesthatthepackagesassisthaveadirectsayinwhatgoesinthem,andwherepossible,helpassemblethemfortheirpeers.TheCityofMelbourne,Share,aswellasindividualandgroupdonorshaveseentheimmenseimpactthatthesepackageshaveonstudents’abilitytoengageintheirschoolingandsociallives,andthenon-intrusiveandstigmatisingwayinwhichwegoaboutit.Assuch,agenerousamountoffinancialassistancehasbeengrantedtotheprogramtoenableitsgrowthin2017.Wehopetocontinuetoengageservice-providersinourcommunitytoensurethatallkidshavetheopportunitytoprosper.

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Food for Thought: Making of Mothers

AllofourmumshavegivenmefeedbackeachFridayonanoutreachvisitthattheyhadn’tgoneshoppingyetorhadthechancewithbabyorduringpregnancyduetofeelingsickorbeingisolated.Mumshavesavedatleast$30aweekonbabyformulaalone!Ourmumshavebeenabletoeatahealthybreakfastandwheninarushbeabletocooksomepastaforaquickmealforthemselvesorinfant.TheMOMprogramhasbenefitedgreatlyfromthisservice…IwouldliketothankHothamMissionformakingsuchadifferenceeachweektoourmumsandtheirgrowingfamily.Ithasallowedthemtosavethatextramoneyforbills,medicine,transport,etc.ConnieBoglis,YouthWorkerSt.Joseph’sFlexibleLearningCentre,NorthMelbourne

Ruby*hasbeenaccessingthefoodparcels-sheisnotcurrentlyresidingathomeandisunabletoaccessCentrelink.Soforhertobeabletocontributefoodthehouseholdwheresheisresidingisimportanttoher.Also,assheisagrowingteenagerandhungryallthetime,thefoodpacksensurethatshehasherownfoodtoeatwheresheisliving.LisaBurgess,TeacherSt.Joseph’sFlexibleLearningCentre,NorthMelbourne

Nameshavebeenchangedtoprotectconfidentiality

ThisyearwehavebeenthrilledtobeabletostrengthenourrelationshipwithNorthMelbourne’sSt.Joseph’sFlexibleLearningCentre.Everyweek,studentsfromStJo’sassistourFoodforThoughtteaminassemblinghealthyfoodparcelsfortheirpeers.Attheendofterm4lastyear,StJo’sstudentsandHothamstaffwerepreparing46parcelseveryweekforstudents,6ofwhichspecificallycaterforyoungmumsandincludedbabyformula,sanitaryitems,householdgoods,andinfant-appropriatesnacks.

Ourpartnershipwiththeteachers,youthworkersandoutreachworkersatStJo’shasseentheprovisionoffoodandhygieneproductsmorethandoubleinthespaceofaterm.Atthecommencementofterm1,2017,theparcelsthatareputtogetherespeciallyfortheyoungmumsintheMakingofMothersprogram(MOMs)willdoubleagaintomeetthegrowingneed.Nothingmattersmoretousthanmakingsurekids’mostbasicofneedsaremettoenablethemtobeabletolearn.WehavebeenthrilledtoworkwithsuchcommittedandpassionatestaffatStJo’s,andtogetfoodtothekidswhoreallyneedit.

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Editorial: Cultivating Resilience

2016wasatoughyearformanypeople.Sowhenconsideringalltheproverbialbottlesthatlastyearweredrunkenlylobbedatourheads,itseemedfittingtotalkalittleaboutresilienceandthepartitplaysinhowweworkwithyoungpeopleinourcommunity.Overthepastyear,wehavesoughttoimbueallofourprogramstargetingyoungpeopleandfamilieswiththesamesetofcoreprinciples,oneofwhichbeingthedevelopmentandcultivationofresilience.Resilienceistheabilitytorecoverquicklyfromdifficulties,andissomethingthatadultscannurtureinayoungperson’slife.Formanyofourkids,becauseoftheexperiencestheyhavegonethroughintheiryounglives,theabilitytobouncebackfromadversityisabitmoredifficultthanitmaybefortheaverageJoe,SteveorMohammad.InUCHMyouthprograms,webelievethatthisstrugglecanbemadealittleeasierbythepresenceandpersistenceofstrong,positiveattachmentwhereintheyoungperson’sabilitytoself-actualiseisofprimaryconcern.

Atimeinwhichyoungpeoplehavetobeespeciallyresilientisduringthetransitionfromprimarytosecondaryschool.Transitioncanbeachallengingtimeinthelivesofyoungpeopleandcanexacerbatefeelingsofinsecurity,vulnerabilityandanxietytheymayfacemovingintohighschool.Thetransitiontosecondaryschoolinvolvesnewexpectations,newsurroundings,newroutinesandnewpeople.Itisduringthistimethatthosekidsmostatriskareseekingtomakeconnectionswithpeopleandplacesandholdontosomeconsistencyatatimewhensomanythingsaroundthemarechanging.Forthosewithspeciallearningneedsorwhohaveexperiencedstressandtraumaintheirlives,thisperiodiscrucialintheiracademicandsociallives.Thosewhodisengagefromsecondaryschoolnotonlyriskjeopardisingtheirprofessionalfutures,butarealsoatheightenedriskofanxiety,depressionandothermentalhealthissues.

HothamMission’sMessClubprogramtargetsmiddleyearkidswhomaybeexperiencingorabouttoexperiencethistransition.TheMessClubstaffandvolunteersareconstantlyexperimentingandworkingwithourstudentstofindnewwaysofengagingstudentswhomaynotfeelgroundedorsupportedduringthistime. Furthertothis,manyofthekidsweworkwithhaveexperiencedthingscompletelyandentirelyoutoftherealmofnormalhumanexperiences.Incrediblychallengingcircumstanceshaveannouncedthemselvesintheirlivesandtheyhavehadtosummonthestrengthandresiliencetolearn,playandgrowaseverychildhastherightto.Ourprimaryconcerninouryouthprogramsistoformpartofasupportnetworkfortheyoungpeopleofourcommunitythatcannotbetakenawayfromthem.Ithasneverandwillneverbeourobjectivetoreplacecaregivers,orteachersorfamily.Wedohoweverbelievethatthemorepeoplethatatriskkidscanseeastrustworthy,warmandsafe,thebetter.

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Itisinthecontextoftheserelationshipsthatwehopetheyoungpeopleweworkwithareabletodeveloptheskillsofself-regulationandsecuritytowithstandthechallengesthatlifethrowstheirway.Weaimtofosterimportantrelationshipsthatwillfacilitateempathyforothers,encouragementofstrengths,confidenceandresponsibility-keybuildingblocksinbuildingstrongandhealthyresilienceinthefaceofadversity. Withtheknowledgethatrecoveryfromtraumaandadversitytakesplaceinthecontextofwarm,healthyandstablerelationships,weaimtobeapartofthecommunityanditsyoungpeople’sjourneysforalongtimetocome. Whenwegetknockeddown,wegetup,whenweneedhelp,wereachout,andmostimportantly,whenyoungpeoplespeak,welisten.

AlexJohnson,YouthProgramsCoordinator

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Help us Grow!

NorthMelbourneHomeworkClub-----------------------------------------------------------------MondaysduringschooltermsKensingtonMessClub---------------------------------------------------------------------------------ThursdaysduringschooltermsFoodforThought:CommunityFoodSecurityInitiative-------------------------------------WednesdaysduringschooltermsFoodforThought:Research---------------------------------------------------------PreliminaryreportsexpectedinAprilTheVennyFoodNight(inpartnershipwithTheVennyinc.)------------------------------------------------WednesdaynightsRenshawEducationalSupportProgram-----------------------------------------------------------ApplicationscloseMarch3rdAsylumSeekerSupport:AccommodationandAdultEducation-----------------------------------------------------Year-round

…AndongoingCommunitypartnerships

Get Involved!

CallProgramsManagerBethStewart-Wrightfor

volunteerorinternshipopportunitiesE:beth.stewartwright@hothammission.org.au

Ph:93268245

Tosubmitadonationvisit:https://www.givenow.com.au/ucahothammission

anddonatetoaspecificprogramormakea

generaldonation

HothamMissionisaffiliatedwiththecongregationofMarktheEvangelistandispartofthesocialjusticearmoftheUnitingChurch