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Christmas at Jesuit Social Services

AVAMP Christmas Party At Brosnan Youth Services

After a very successful debut year and with a new batch of volunteers on board, members of the African Visitation and Mentoring Program (AVAMP) gathered recently at the Brosnan Centre in Brunswick to celebrate the end of 2011.

Throughout the year mentors were matched with the participants in remand on the basis of skills and shared interests and visited inmates in Port Philip Prison, Melbourne Assessment Prison and the Metropolitan Remand Centre.

At the recent gathering, after a delicious meal of African food, these mentors sat in a group circle and shared their experiences which all described as "very rewarding."

Tapuwa Bofu, Program Coordinator, said that "relationships is what it's all about" in the AVAMP program.

"Our volunteer mentors come from all different backgrounds and work as role models to support the participants transition back into the community."

Volunteer Hamid Mohamid Ali said he had seen the opportunity to join the AVAMP program advertised on the NAB volunteer board.

"I had been thinking about giving back to the African community and I thought I could relate to a lot of them. I knew many of the inmates were newly arrived, and being from Eritrea originally, I know you are faced with problems when you arrive - one being the new country with obvious differences like the accent, and for the young inmates, also with a new system of living, in a prison."

He said he had started off mentoring an inmate in the city but had eventually ended up driving all the way to Beechworth prison after his mentee requested he visit when he was transferred there.

"I have really enjoyed this work and sometimes I think I get more out of it than the person I am mentoring." he said.

Brosnan Youth Services manager, Daniel Clements, said ''You don't have to be an African to be a mentor, the idea is to guide them to somewhere they want to be - a place in life they want to end up with."

AVAMP is delivered by Jesuit Social Services in partnership with the Department of Justice. To enable good outcomes, the mentors were provided with culturally sensitive training and ongoing support over 15 weeks. The aim is to develop a supportive mentoring relationship which continues following re-entry into the community.

Jesuit Social Services Collingwood Christmas party

The Artful Dodger's Studios Coordinator Marianna Codognotto said young participants involved with the program had described this year's Christmas party at their Langridge Street headquarters as the "best ever."

"Our volunteers including Clare and Anne and all the rest of their remarkable crew performed near miracles, the food was gorgeous, the decorations festive and the hampers were very much appreciated," she said.

"I particularly loved the cupcakes and sparklers, what a beautiful and unexpected surprise. These special added touches showed how much care and thought these fabulous women put into the day.

"Many of the young people we work with don't have family at Christmas time and so it was so very important to come together share a meal, a laugh and listen to some live music. Young people and staff have already commented that this was the best Christmas party ever!"