Brotherhood of St Laurence
Encyclopedia
The Brotherhood of St Laurence is an Australian not-for-profit organisation. Based in Melbourne, the Brotherhood (as it is colloquially known) has a national profile. The organisation's vision is for an Australia free of poverty. In working towards this vision it undertakes research and develops and delivers services and advocates on behalf of people experiencing disadvantage
. It works not just to alleviate poverty but to prevent it, focusing on those who are at risk at four critical stages (transitions) in their lives:
Within this broad framework, the Brotherhood pays particular attention to issues relating to refugees and settlement, financial inclusion and social inclusion.
appointed by the Christian church in Rome, responsible for collecting donations and distributing them to people in need.
Under the Emperor Valerian, the church came under attack. Laurence was ordered by the Prefect of Rome to hand over the church’s treasures. In response, he assembled the poor of the city, among whom he had shared the church’s possessions. He presented them to the Prefect, saying, 'These are the treasures of the church'.
For this action he was punished by being slowly roasted to death on an iron grid. St Laurence is one of the most famous Christian martyrs.
. Its founder, Father Gerard Kennedy Tucker
, dreamed of building a dedicated group of like-minded men who would serve the church and the community.
The Brotherhood was established as a religious order of the Anglican Church, with members including priests and lay brothers.
In 1933 the Brotherhood of St Laurence accepted the invitation of Canon Maynard of St Peter’s Church, Eastern Hill, Melbourne (with the approval of the Archbishop of Melbourne
) and moved to St Mary's Mission in Fitzroy
to help the poor in that neighbourhood. Young men who wished to serve others in the name of Christ came together as a community at St Mary’s and attended lectures at St Peter’s. They lived simply, studied, prayed and helped with social welfare activities.
At the height of the Great Depression, when some 30 per cent of the workforce were jobless, the Brotherhood became more actively involved in helping the unemployed.
Several hostels were set up to provide accommodation for homeless unemployed men and boys.
After the 1939–45 War, much to Father Tucker’s disappointment, there was little interest in expanding the Brotherhood as a religious order. While the religious order did not survive, the welfare work of the Brotherhood continued and expanded under Father Tucker’s leadership.
Father Tucker died in 1974 but the legacy of his work still lives on today.
The organisation assists families through:
Through HIPPY Australia, the Brotherhood operates a national program to help families and communities develop literacy and numeracy skills in preschool children.
They assist young people through:
They support job seekers and those looking to develop their personal skills through:
The organisation tackles poverty and social isolation
among older people through:
The Brotherhood's Coolibah Centre, for members of the community aged 55 and over, was Victoria's first senior citizens' centre, established in 1946.
The organisation assists with settlement of refugees through:
The Brotherhood's Ecumenical Migration Centre (EMC), established in 1962, has been at the forefront of the migrant rights movement in Australia for over forty years. It pioneered the delivery of services to migrant communities and today continues to strengthen the capacity and infrastructure
of new and emerging communities.
model, which gives low-income earners the opportunity to save, take out more manageable loans and gain control of their finances.
The Brotherhood is assisting Australians to actively manage their money through:
The organisation's businesses also show its commitment to environmental and social responsibility
through encouraging recycling, reducing energy consumption and minimising waste. This includes reconditioning fridges, retrofitting houses to make them more energy efficient, recycling books and re-using vintage clothing.
The Brotherhood’s social enterprises include:
The Brotherhood has 27 community stores (also known as op-shops) where it sells donated furniture, clothing and other household items. As well as selling low-cost goods to families and bargain hunters, the organisation offers job opportunities and a place for community connection.
Among the Brotherhood's community stores, two Hunter Gatherer shops specialise in selling hand-picked vintage clothing and fair trade products. The stores also stock Ethical Clothing Australia goods and are accredited Ethical Clothing Australia retailers.
In 2009 it was estimated that the contribution of volunteers was worth approximately $6.24 million. Individual and corporate volunteering opportunites are available with the Brotherhood, as well as student placements.
Disadvantage
In policy debate, a disadvantage is an argument that a team brings up against a policy action that is being considered.-Structure:...
. It works not just to alleviate poverty but to prevent it, focusing on those who are at risk at four critical stages (transitions) in their lives:
- children and families - in the early years, both at home and in school
- young people - moving through school and into work or further education
- adults - seeking employment and training
- older people - facing the challenges of retirement and ageing.
Within this broad framework, the Brotherhood pays particular attention to issues relating to refugees and settlement, financial inclusion and social inclusion.
St Laurence
The Brotherhood of St Laurence was named after St Laurence, the patron saint of the poor. Laurence lived in Rome at the time of Pope Sixtus (AD 258–276). He was one of seven deaconsSeven Deacons
The Seven Deacons were leaders elected by the Early Christian church to minister to the people of Jerusalem. They are described in the Acts of the Apostles, and are the subject of later traditions as well; for instance they are supposed to have been members of the Seventy Disciples who appear in...
appointed by the Christian church in Rome, responsible for collecting donations and distributing them to people in need.
Under the Emperor Valerian, the church came under attack. Laurence was ordered by the Prefect of Rome to hand over the church’s treasures. In response, he assembled the poor of the city, among whom he had shared the church’s possessions. He presented them to the Prefect, saying, 'These are the treasures of the church'.
For this action he was punished by being slowly roasted to death on an iron grid. St Laurence is one of the most famous Christian martyrs.
Beginnings
The Brotherhood of St Laurence was founded on 8 December 1930 in the Anglican parish church of St Stephen in Adamstown, a working class suburb of Newcastle in New South WalesNew South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. Its founder, Father Gerard Kennedy Tucker
Gerard Kennedy Tucker
Gerard Kennedy Tucker was an Anglican priest in Melbourne, Australia.Tucker founded the Brotherhood of St Laurence in 1931 and the forerunner of Oxfam Australia in 1953.-Life:...
, dreamed of building a dedicated group of like-minded men who would serve the church and the community.
The Brotherhood was established as a religious order of the Anglican Church, with members including priests and lay brothers.
In 1933 the Brotherhood of St Laurence accepted the invitation of Canon Maynard of St Peter’s Church, Eastern Hill, Melbourne (with the approval of the Archbishop of Melbourne
Archbishop of Melbourne
Archbishop of Melbourne or Bishop of Melbourne may refer to the bishop responsible for either of the following dioceses:*Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne*Anglican Diocese of Melbourne...
) and moved to St Mary's Mission in Fitzroy
Fitzroy
Fitzroy or FitzRoy is an Anglo-Norman name originally meaning "son of the king". In several cases, this surname was used by an illegitimate son of a king and is still borne by his descendants...
to help the poor in that neighbourhood. Young men who wished to serve others in the name of Christ came together as a community at St Mary’s and attended lectures at St Peter’s. They lived simply, studied, prayed and helped with social welfare activities.
At the height of the Great Depression, when some 30 per cent of the workforce were jobless, the Brotherhood became more actively involved in helping the unemployed.
Several hostels were set up to provide accommodation for homeless unemployed men and boys.
After the 1939–45 War, much to Father Tucker’s disappointment, there was little interest in expanding the Brotherhood as a religious order. While the religious order did not survive, the welfare work of the Brotherhood continued and expanded under Father Tucker’s leadership.
Father Tucker died in 1974 but the legacy of his work still lives on today.
Children and families
The Brotherhood supports families experiencing social or financial disadvantage. It cares for the needs of both children and parents, working alongside families to help them be strong, healthy and happy.The organisation assists families through:
- services in the areas of child care, playgroups and parent support
- research and the development of policy options for government in areas such as education and family support.
Through HIPPY Australia, the Brotherhood operates a national program to help families and communities develop literacy and numeracy skills in preschool children.
Young people
The organisation works to ensure all young people can stay engaged in learning, achieve their educational goals, find meaningful employment and live a fulfilling life, whether they are from a refugee family, from a household struggling with poverty, or facing other difficulties.They assist young people through:
- services providing support for school students, support for school leavers and support for parents
- researchResearchResearch can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
and policyPolicyA policy is typically described as a principle or rule to guide decisions and achieve rational outcome. The term is not normally used to denote what is actually done, this is normally referred to as either procedure or protocol...
development in areas such as community-based education, training, employment and youth support services.
Employment and training
The Brotherhood provides training and job placement services, as well as extended social support, to people who are long-term unemployed, who face significant barriers to getting a job, or who have personal difficulties.They support job seekers and those looking to develop their personal skills through:
- services in training, assistance moving into work, and social enterprises
- research and advocacy for streamlined services, reduced red tape and better employment and training assistance.
Older people
The Brotherhood has been caring for this vulnerable group since the 1940s and continues today with an approach that recognises the importance of family, friends and community in the lives of older people.The organisation tackles poverty and social isolation
Social isolation
Social isolation refers to a lack of contact with society for members of social species. There may be many causes and individuals in numerous generally social species are isolated at times, it need not be a pathological condition. In human society, in those cases where it is viewed as a pathology,...
among older people through:
- services and programs that provide residential aged care, care in the community, day and respiteRespiteRespite may be:* Respite , delay of sentence* Respite care, care provided as temporary replacement of a live-in caregiver* Respite , practice of allocating extraordinary resources toward recovery of workers from effects of unusual stress...
services, independent living and carer support - research and the development of policy options for governments in areas such as affordable housingAffordable housingAffordable housing is a term used to describe dwelling units whose total housing costs are deemed "affordable" to those that have a median income. Although the term is often applied to rental housing that is within the financial means of those in the lower income ranges of a geographical area, the...
, employment, taxation and retirement incomes.
The Brotherhood's Coolibah Centre, for members of the community aged 55 and over, was Victoria's first senior citizens' centre, established in 1946.
Refugees and settlement
The Brotherhood works in partnership with communities, government and businesses in order to influence public policy and program development and achieve the social inclusion of Australia's newest arrivals.The organisation assists with settlement of refugees through:
- services that focus on family, youth, employment and settling in Australia
- research that investigates social inclusion, employment participation, community capacity building and culturally responsive support.
The Brotherhood's Ecumenical Migration Centre (EMC), established in 1962, has been at the forefront of the migrant rights movement in Australia for over forty years. It pioneered the delivery of services to migrant communities and today continues to strengthen the capacity and infrastructure
Infrastructure
Infrastructure is basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise, or the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function...
of new and emerging communities.
Financial inclusion
By offering saving, financial literacy and small loans programs, the Brotherhood gives low-income earners the chance to build assets. It uses a microfinanceMicrofinance
Microfinance is the provision of financial services to low-income clients or solidarity lending groups including consumers and the self-employed, who traditionally lack access to banking and related services....
model, which gives low-income earners the opportunity to save, take out more manageable loans and gain control of their finances.
The Brotherhood is assisting Australians to actively manage their money through:
- programs that encourage saving, provide financial literacy education and offer small personal loans
- research that helps assess the effectiveness of its programs and enables the organisaton to lobby for fairer and more accessible financial services.
Businesses
The Brotherhood runs a diverse range of businesses, or social enterprises, which raise funds for its programs, provide job seekers with training and a job, offer affordable goods and services to people on low incomes, and establish community connections.The organisation's businesses also show its commitment to environmental and social responsibility
Social responsibility
Social responsibility is an ethical ideology or theory that an entity, be it an organization or individual, has an obligation to act to benefit society at large. Social responsibility is a duty every individual or organization has to perform so as to maintain a balance between the economy and the...
through encouraging recycling, reducing energy consumption and minimising waste. This includes reconditioning fridges, retrofitting houses to make them more energy efficient, recycling books and re-using vintage clothing.
The Brotherhood’s social enterprises include:
- Community Stores
- Hunter Gatherer vintage clothing stores
- Second Edition Bookshop Cafe
- Brotherhood Books Online
- Phoenix Fridges
- Mod-Style Eyewear
- Brotherhood Green
- FloodSax
- Hunter Gatherer vintageVintageVintage, in wine-making, is the process of picking grapes and creating the finished product . A vintage wine is one made from grapes that were all, or primarily, grown and harvested in a single specified year. In certain wines, it can denote quality, as in Port wine, where Port houses make and...
clothing stores - Community Cleaning Enterprise
- Community Contact Service
Community stores
The Brotherhood has 27 community stores (also known as op-shops) where it sells donated furniture, clothing and other household items. As well as selling low-cost goods to families and bargain hunters, the organisation offers job opportunities and a place for community connection.
Among the Brotherhood's community stores, two Hunter Gatherer shops specialise in selling hand-picked vintage clothing and fair trade products. The stores also stock Ethical Clothing Australia goods and are accredited Ethical Clothing Australia retailers.
Volunteers
Volunteers play a vital role in the Brotherhood’s activities. In 2010, 1300 generous people donated their time and skills to the Brotherhood in Victoria, making a huge contribution to the organisation's work for an Australia free of poverty.In 2009 it was estimated that the contribution of volunteers was worth approximately $6.24 million. Individual and corporate volunteering opportunites are available with the Brotherhood, as well as student placements.
Sources
- The Brotherhood of st Laurence. "Our History".
- The Brotherhood of st Laurence. "Our Services".
- The Brotherhood of st Laurence. "Volunteer with us".
- Brotherhood Books. "Brotherhood Online Book Store".
- Mod-style Eyewear. "Mod-Style Eyewear".
- Brotherhood Green. "Brotherhood Green".
- FloodSax. "FloodSax".