Australian Catholic University’s campus in Brisbane will be home to a new chapter of the St Vincent de Paul Society Queensland Banyo Conference as part of a newly signed agreement between the two organisations.
Under the new partnership, ACU students and staff experiencing an immediate crisis or hardship will have direct access to emergency relief through a new hub being established at the Banyo campus.
The campus hub has been adopted as a “special work” of the Society’s Banyo Conference, based at the Banyo-Nundah Catholic Parish.
ACU staff will have the opportunity to volunteer at the campus hub as members or associates of the local conference.
ACU Banyo’s campus ministry team will also establish the first Vinnies@ACU student society. The student-led university club will collaborate closely with Vinnies Youth to provide peer-to-peer support, support fundraising initiatives, and contribute to an extensive range of volunteering opportunities, some of which will contribute directly to credit into their degrees.
ACU campus dean Susan Dann said the new partnership agreement would provide a concrete governance structure that formalises the long-standing collaboration between ACU and the Society in Queensland.
“ACU and St Vincent de Paul Society Queensland have worked closely for more than a decade on a range of community initiatives, including their support of our incredible Clemente Australia program, and welcoming our students for community engagement placements in critical programs such as Buddies Day and Sense,” Professor Dann said.
“For the first time, the Society will have a formal hub on the Banyo Campus, offering support to students and staff in need. I also welcome the opportunity for our students to embrace the work of the Society through ongoing volunteer opportunities on and off campus.
St Vincent de Paul Society Queensland’s acting chief executive officer Joe Duskovic said the opportunity to work with ACU was a reminder of the Society’s original vision.
“Frédéric Ozanam was a 20-year-old student when he founded the Society in 1833, called to live his faith in action with his fellow university students,” Mr Duskovic said.
“It is fitting that nearly 200 years later we continue Blessed Frederick Ozanam’s spirit of service to the poor through this renewed partnership with ACU.”
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ACU and St Vincent de Paul Society Queensland to establish new campus hub (ACU)
