Social welfare work has been undertaken by the Anglican Church within the Diocese of Newcastle since last century. Early projects included orphanages and schools, work amongst the poor of the Port of Newcastle and homes for the destitute. The 1920s saw an expansion of ‘bricks and mortar’ projects, including homes for girls and boys and babies.
‘Civics and Morals’ committees considered social issues such as alcoholism and gambling, censorship and sex education. Just prior to World War Two, youth unemployment and the plight of refugees from Central Europe were debated!
The development of additional homes for young people, proposals for aged care and Anglican Church assistance during the Maitland floods were highlights prior to the creations of the Diocesan Board of Social Work in 1968. Welfare work was brought under the umbrella of this body.
On October 14, 1984, the Newcastle Anglican Board of Social Work was redefined as the Samaritans Foundation to ‘assist in the expansion of the social and community service work within the Diocese’. Thus the present organisation was created by an Ordinance of the Synod. Its objects are:
- To promote and conduct activities within Australia and particularly within the Diocese to relieve sickness, suffering, poverty, distress, misfortune, destitution or helplessness.
- To provide caring services for the relief of those who are poor, aged or infirm.
The Executive Officer of Samaritans is appointed by the Lord Bishop on the nomination of the Board and is responsible to the Board for the management and administration of Samaritans.
The Mission Statement of the Samaritans Foundation sets out three aims:
- The delivery of professional services of a welfare nature;
- The development of parish-based social caring ministries;
- To assist and challenge the Church, community and Governments in the development and implementation of social policies consistent with the Christian Gospels.
The Samaritans Foundation aims to provide welfare and caring services through the Hunter, Central Coast and Manning Regions of the Diocese. At present, Samaritans has some 460 paid and about 400 voluntary workers throughout its services. ‘Professional’ projects target youth, adolescent, family, children's, crisis, housing and disability areas. Parish-based projects operate through Samaritans groups in about two-thirds of the 63 parishes in the Diocese of Newcastle. They may involve transport services, drop-in centres, Op Shops, food vans, hospital or visiting programmes or lunches and dinners for the needy.
The development of social policy has involved submissions and consultations with Government, canvassing areas in the general community and assisting the Diocese with the development of policy.
Emergency Services assistance is provided throughout locations spread throughout the Dioceses and currently delivers support to up to 2,000 individuals, families and their dependants each month with more than $330,000 in assistance in cash or in kind distributed in the past year to more than 20,000 people.
A commercial recycling division provides good quality used clothing through eight Samaritans stores and several shared parish operations as well as industrial rags and wipers.
Care and Control
Locally based committees provide support to our professional services. These are subcommittees of the Board of the Samaritans Foundation, are controlled by bylaws and are made up of management, board, parish and community representatives. They provide feed back on the day-to-day operation of services, but major policy or financial decisions can only be made through a recommendation to the Board, which is ultimately responsible for all major ‘direction’ issues. The Board meets bi-monthly.
The Central Offices of the Samaritans Foundation are located at 36 Warabrook Boulevard, Warabrook NSW 2304.
