ADRA Victoria is part of ADRA Australia and thus the global ADRA network, reaching over 110 countries. ADRA works with local communities as well as overseas, helping them lift themselves out of poverty and creating a brighter future.
At the beginning of this four year period under review, the Director, Rebecca Auriant, set three goals.
GOAL 1 To continue to be nurturing and compassionate to our local communities through opening our churches during the week to become Centres of Influence. In the first stage, the aim was to have a Centre of Influence in six pastoral districts, supported by an ADRA Op Shop and/or ADRA Café, which highlight the following: support services for people facing hardship, pathways for education and employment, family and intergenerational outreach and a platform to share our Adventist health message.
There are currently twelve Centres of Influence across Victoria. In just the last twelve months there have been 69,264 beneficiaries, 244 active volunteers per week and 114,192 volunteer hours equating to an in–kind dollar value of $799, 344.
GOAL 2. To continue to be seen as an agency of excellence with key stakeholders in the community service and emergency management industry in Victoria.
GOAL 3. To continue to train and educate church members on reaching out to their local community through meaningful service.
These two goals are often achieved simultaneously. ADRA was activated at Bairnsdale during the fires in the summer of 2019/20, and across sixteen local government areas during 2020 for COVID support services. Additionally it has received over 500K in government grants. Both these facts indicates confidence in ADRA’s services. It has partnerships with Westfield Fountain Gate, the Victorian Police and Afri-Aus Care to operate a youth resilience project.
Ongoing education has been enhanced with online platforms rolled out by ADRA. Training is available for churches interested in starting a local ADRA project.
Some more specific projects that have been consolidated during this time include a support program for students with intellectual disabilities in Springvale and Warburton; support for women from South Sudan (funded by the Department of Justice and Community Safety) in Springvale; and throughout 2020 a number of our churches became involved in offering hardship support to their communities with meals, food hampers and other goods (and many times ‘just happening to find’ the specific goods needed in their supplies, even when they had not even heard of the requested item beforehand!)
And of course, when we are able to travel, there have been the ADRA Connections trips which change the lives of those going, as well as helping the communities they travel to.
The increase in ADRA activities and the achievements to date have been a result of God blessing the ministry and opening the doors, compassionate churches serving others and financial resourcing through the ADRA Appeal and ADRA Op Shops based in Bairnsdale, Boronia and Mitcham. While COVID has resulted in a loss of income for the ADRA Appeal, the Op shops have been there all the way to lend a hand. And ADRA has also served its volunteers. ADRA Victoria has a WhatsApp group who share in a regular worship email. And at each ADRA project, prayer is facilitated with the volunteers, if a meal is involved, they offer prayer, and at the close of an event, guests are also encouraged to join in a final prayer.
Thank you to all our many volunteers and the staff who have contributed to the growth of ADRA over the last four years. We give all glory to God for His leadership and overseeing the ADRA department in Victoria.
Rebecca Auriant
Director, Victoria
