Since 2008, Jesuit Social Services has been building on the strengths of Western Sydney communities to support them to break out of cycles of disadvantage.

Made up of diverse and vibrant communities, the people of Western Sydney are resilient, strong, passionate and kind. These communities are also faced with complex social and economic issues.

Our Dropping off the Edge research into locational disadvantage, spanning more than 20 years, finds that many communities in Western Sydney deal with multiple and complex forms of disadvantage.

Our suite of initiatives to address these issues include:

• Ignite Food Store – we provide low cost, healthy, fresh food to families who are struggling. Buying a $30 hamper will deliver customers approximately $100 value through the addition of free produce.
• Ignite Op Shop – we provide high quality clothing, toys, books, furniture, household items, and bric-a-brac at low prices to the Mount Druitt community. Our Ignite Food Store and Op Shop are open five days a week and encourage local families to visit our store often and save money.
• Willmot Community Hub – we provide a welcoming space in the heart of Willmot to facilitate a number of groups and events with the community, including a weekly breakfast, after school and school holiday programs, a seniors’ group and NAIDOC celebrations.  We partner with local residents and over 20 organisations to build a community resource right in the heart of Willmot. We work together with others to deliver a number of programs to the local community.
• Schools and community engagement – we support high school students to become more aware and active in social justice through volunteering. The program helps students and staff from Sydney to deepen their understanding of the experiences and struggles that many community members in Western Sydney grapple with every day.
• Willmot Currawong Kitchen – we provide healthy food options to children at the Willmot Public School canteen, offer catering throughout the local area, and deliver healthy food hampers to people experiencing food insecurity.
• Parenting support – we deliver therapeutic groups for women experiencing vulnerability during pregnancy and in their children’s early years.

Your donation will help ensure we can provide on-going support in these programs. Because there are so many people in real need, every day of each year, Jesuit Social Services is in need of continued funding. We not only want to provide support to our current program participants, we also want to commit to funding further projects addressing disadvantage. Our policy and research unit is currently analysing problems and developing solutions - but we need your help to put these into action.

Your donation today will help us continue to advocate for social change and promote the health and wellbeing of all. Together we can build a just society where all people have the opportunity to flourish, reach their full potential and make a meaningful contribution to the communities they live in.