The Society was active with advocacy campaigns focused on human rights and social justice issues. This work was directed to ‘real world, not abstract, issues, most notably to addressing the state’s recognised gaps in regard to housing and homelessness.

The Society’s major campaign for the year called for the NSW Government to invest in 5000 new social housing dwellings per year for the next ten years. This target aligned with the many other organisations calling for this investment.

As the Society’s NSW CEO, Jack de Groot said, “Having a home is the foundation from which people are able to plan beyond one day at a time. Without a secure place to live, it is incredibly difficult for people to live healthy lives in the present, let alone plan for the future.”  

This campaign:

• Collected more than 15,000 signatures on a petition that was tabled by Alex Greenwich MP in NSW Parliament (October 2020) and debated (February 2021). 
• Making more than 250 engagements with NSW MPs about the need for more social housing, and numerous submissions. 
• Gained extensive media coverage. 
• Hosted key decision-makers at our social and affordable housing sites – Treasurer, Dominic Perrottet and Member for Cronulla, Mark Speakman, at Burraneer, Federal Shadow Minister for Homelessness at Jordan Springs. 

A campaign calling on the Australian Government to take five simple steps to fix our housing system so that everyone can have a home:

1. Support for first home-buyers
2. A National Housing Strategy
3. A better deal for renters
4. Immediate relief for Australians in chronic rental stress
5. A plan to end homelessness by 2030

This called on all Australian jurisdictions to implement legally enforceable energy efficiency standards for rented homes. We supported the development of a website, resources, and a messaging guide. While the national coordination is led by Better Renting, the campaign has a wide range of partners and in NSW we are working closely with the Tenant’s Union and the Public Interest Advocacy Centre to engage key decision-makers.

Led by ACOSS, this campaign aims to fix our social security safety net so that it keeps people out of poverty. Key actions:

• Releasing a report showing the relationship between the level at which JobSeeker is set, and the number of people who rely on charities in order to make ends meet. 
• Writing to key decision-makers to share the data collected by our conferences illustrating the benefit of a higher rate of JobSeeker on the people we assist, and supporting our members to write to their local MPs. 
• Developing a submission in response to new legislation that failed to set the JobSeeker at a level above the poverty line. 
• Achieving good media coverage. 

We created opportunities for Society people to better understand and engage with the Uluru Statement. A webinar was held  in partnership with the Indigenous Law Centre at UNSW. We supported members and conferences to make submissions in response to the Interim Voice Report. The civic engagement in the process was significant, with nine out of ten submissions supporting constitutional change.

In partnership with Jesuit Refugee Service we developed policy briefings to support the campaign, held a webinar, and supported members to contact their MPs. Initiated by the Sisters of St. Joseph, the campaign brings together a coalition of Catholic organisations to including the Justice and Peace Office of the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney, and the Jesuit Refugee Service, to engage with people of good will, and advocate to change government attitudes and policies towards those seeking protection in Australia.

• During Anti-Poverty Week, the 2020 Rosalie Rendu Forum brought together a collection of exceptional women to discuss how the disruption created by the pandemic and other recent crises could be used as an opportunity to bring about a more just and compassionate society. Hosted by Geraldine Doogue (ABC Radio National) and with panellists Nicki Hutley, Partner at Deloitte Access Economics; Jody Broun, CEO of the Aboriginal Housing Office; and Kirsty Robertson, CEO of Caritas Australia, the event was an opportunity to discuss how we can reimagine the future, creating more equitable communities post pandemic. 
• Over the course of the 2020/21 financial year we hosted regular Social Justice webinars, covering such topics as Climate Justice, Mental Health, the Uluru Statement from the Heart, Reconciliation, and People Seeking Asylum. 

In the 2020/21 financial year, we increased our followings on all of our social media accounts.

+7.6%

+14.4%

+19.7%

+1%

It’s important to tell the many stories the Society creates through its good works – and it’s vitally important in our role of advocating on behalf of people we assist.

The mainstream media continues to be engaged and invested in the Society’s activities and working with it helps us raise awareness of societal issues, campaign for change, and highlight our fundraising.

Over the last year, we received in excess of 220 mentions per month across NSW print, TV, radio, and online news media.

The pandemic continued to dominate headlines throughout the year and through a partnership with St Vincent’s Hospital, the City of Sydney, and the Kirketon Rd Centre, we were able to provide 3,000 COVID-19 vaccines to people experiencing disadvantage through a clinic in Woolloomooloo. This was one of the ways the Society adapted its services to meet the emerging needs of the people we assist.

The Society distributed $708,000 to people worst affected by the NSW floods, following a successful appeal. Our donors gave generously and it meant people in hard hit areas could apply for our $1,000 grants to help them recover.

The Vinnies CEO Sleepout raised $9.3 million nationally, with a NSW record $3.1 million contribution to that total. This would have been an excellent achievement in any year but in pandemic-impacted 2021, it was truly amazing. Media coverage in the lead-up to the event had a strong focus on the events’ participants.

The Society spent the year highlighting the need for more social and affordable housing, with the state stuck in a lengthy period of high demand and low supply.

Ozanam Industries provides meaningful employment opportunities for people with disability by offering individualised supports and roles tailored to suit a range of skills and abilities. This year, our supported employees helped assemble more than 1 million COVID-19 test kits for NSW Health Pathology.