Living Justice 

While we have been learning remotely this term, our Maintenance Team have been busy working on expanding the vegetable garden. Our Sustainability Leaders submitted a proposal earlier this year to Ms Mangelsdorf to request building some raised vegetable beds, as well as a shed and greenhouse. This was approved and is underway! 

Our existing vegetables and herbs are doing well, with lots of snow peas and rhubarb needing to be picked. 

Another key project this year for our group has been to establish an Indigenous habitat garden. While this is still in the planning stage, we were given some local Indigenous seedlings for National Tree Day just before this current lockdown. The Maintenance Team have taken good care of these seedlings; however, they needed to be planted. Last week, Amanda (one of our laboratory technicians) and I worked hard over a couple of hours to plant all the seedlings to get our garden started. 

Season of Creation

We are celebrating the Season of Creation (1 September to 4 October) which calls us all to action to help protect and care for our home planet https://seasonofcreation.org/. Each day this week, the Sustainability Group have been suggesting ways that each of us can take a practical step towards reducing our impact on the planet and taking care of its resources. 

For some hope and inspiration, listen to this animated poem (narrated by Dr Jane Goodall) exploring how the COVID-19 pandemic has reminded us of the importance of living in harmony with nature https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gX0HOy8Pi54. 

Sarah Avitabile

Sustainability Leader

'Go the Distance for Refugees'

Help us reach our target of $10,000 for the Brigidine Asylum Seekers Project (BASP) by donating via this link. 

Our 'Go the distance for refugees' Strava challenge is designed to stimulate the distance a refugee has travelled to reach safety.  We encourage all members of our community to walk, run, cycle or even skateboard a minimum distance of 115km over the coming month, the distance from Damascus in Syria to Beirut in Lebanon and to raise funds for BASP because we are inspired by their work.  BASP is a Kildare Ministries community work in the Brigidine tradition, based physically in Melbourne, but supporting people seeking asylum and those with protection visas across the state of Victoria, and engaging in national advocacy. The Project works with, and for, people seeking asylum both in detention and in the community.