Maureen Johnston
Maureen Johnston didn’t like the church. She popped up a few years ago to volunteer to feed the local poor both from the parish kitchen and backyard and from a food bus travelling through South/Port Melbourne and St. Kilda. That’s about 10 years ago.
She died last weekend. We’ll send her off from this kitchen and church, Friday 23rd May. I offer, as her epitaph, the submission we made to the Governor General 3 years ago. Maureen missed out then. We gave her a creation of our own “the order of St. Peter and St. Paul” for services to parish and neighbourhood. Lest We Forget.
Dear Excellency,
Maureen Johnston has been a resident of South Melbourne for most of her life.
A single mother and grandmother, Maureen has 4 children and several grandchildren, and for the last 6 years has been the primary carer for her grandson who is now 16 years old.
Maureen, a pensioner and active participant in the South Melbourne community began her voluntary work in 1990, alongside Outreach worker Henry Nissen OAM, on the food bus preparing and handing out sandwiches, offering hot coffee, aid etc., and generally supported the many who were often desperate for help and who welcomed seeing a friendly face. The food bus travelled the Port Melbourne, St. Kilda, Flinders Street Station areas.
In 1994 Maureen volunteered her services four days a week at the Parish House of Hospitality in South Melbourne.
The Parish Open House is a local non-profit South Melbourne organization offering assistance to underprivileged residents in need of help. The volunteers and workers at Open House work tirelessly with individuals and many families in need. They provide food parcels daily, offer advice on where to find help on housing, clothing, travel tickets and general welfare needs. Perhaps most importantly, the courtyard at Sts Peter and Paul’s Parish provides a safe environment for individuals who need to socialise and interact with others over a cup of coffee.
The success of The Parish Open House relies solely on the people involved in providing a safe and friendly environment for patrons. Maureen has been instrumental in helping Open House reach its goals. Maureen’s volunteering began with the collection of food from Food Bank. Unpacking and handing out food provided Maureen the opportunity to provide moral support for the people in the South Melbourne area who were lonely and often destitute.
Maureen’s experiences at The Parish Open House helped her identify three years ago, that there were many more people in need of a regular cooked meal as well as the opportunity for companionship, friendship and developing self esteem by interaction with others. Solely, she embarked on the service of providing evening meals on Monday, Tuesday and breakfast on Wednesday, insisting they would be free to anyone in need.
Supported with the encouragement from Fr Bob Maguire AM RFD, Parish Priest of Sts Peter and Paul’s, South Melbourne, Maureen took it upon herself to introduce and run this highly successful program. Shortly after its introduction, numbers at Maureen’s meal program rapidly reached between 60 and 80 patrons daily. The success of this project relies entirely on Maureen’s confidence, unselfish dedication and genuine care for the South Melbourne marginalised.
Not only Maureen provide patrons with food and an opportunity to interact with others, she also encourages them to participate in the preparation, cooking and cleaning up, enhancing their self esteem and providing them with a sense of purpose, belonging and pride.
A pensioner and suffering with osteoarthritis, a hernia and emphysema, Maureen does not drive, but walks to Coles every day to purchase supplies for the next meal, relying on the aid of her shopping trolley as she is severely stooped. While Maureen has significant health issues, she is unfailingly reliable and will only miss hosting a meal if she is very sick. She is the only person who provides meals on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and is very committed to her responsibility for people who have come to rely on these mealtimes.
The main source of demand began with food parcel handouts. Due to the success of Maureen’s meals, this demand has significantly decreased. The healthy meals sustain patrons and offer social interaction with others who are in a situation similar to their own, helping them realise they are not isolated. Maureen understood from experience that there were many lonely people living in South Melbourne, surviving on welfare. They would eat alone in their own home, having no contact or interaction with others. Unselfishly, she decided to make a change to their lives, and succeeded tremendously, admirably and without ever looking for or expecting recognition.
While selflessly ignoring her own health issues and always thinking and looking for the next project she can to undertake to improve peoples’ lives, Maureen is a familiar South Melbourne local and countless have benefited from her advice, friendship and kindness.
We nominate Maureen Johnston for an Order of Australia award for the wonderful work she continues to do and the impact she has made on this local community. Her loyalty, commitment and dedication to the marginalised group in South Melbourne is amazing and inspiring. Struggling in her own right, Maureen assists her daughter, who is on a disability pension and unable to look after herself or her son. Maureen is solely raising her 16 year old grandson and she still has time for her enormous and ongoing commitment to others in need. She has the admiration of all who know her.
Maureen has never been nominated for an award and has never been acknowledged for her dedication to community work. I believe she is very deserving of formal recognition as she stands out as a person with a passion for helping people get their lives back in order with encouragement and without judgement.
Bob Maguire on behalf of Parishioners
She died last weekend. We’ll send her off from this kitchen and church, Friday 23rd May. I offer, as her epitaph, the submission we made to the Governor General 3 years ago. Maureen missed out then. We gave her a creation of our own “the order of St. Peter and St. Paul” for services to parish and neighbourhood. Lest We Forget.
Dear Excellency,
Maureen Johnston has been a resident of South Melbourne for most of her life.
A single mother and grandmother, Maureen has 4 children and several grandchildren, and for the last 6 years has been the primary carer for her grandson who is now 16 years old.
Maureen, a pensioner and active participant in the South Melbourne community began her voluntary work in 1990, alongside Outreach worker Henry Nissen OAM, on the food bus preparing and handing out sandwiches, offering hot coffee, aid etc., and generally supported the many who were often desperate for help and who welcomed seeing a friendly face. The food bus travelled the Port Melbourne, St. Kilda, Flinders Street Station areas.
In 1994 Maureen volunteered her services four days a week at the Parish House of Hospitality in South Melbourne.
The Parish Open House is a local non-profit South Melbourne organization offering assistance to underprivileged residents in need of help. The volunteers and workers at Open House work tirelessly with individuals and many families in need. They provide food parcels daily, offer advice on where to find help on housing, clothing, travel tickets and general welfare needs. Perhaps most importantly, the courtyard at Sts Peter and Paul’s Parish provides a safe environment for individuals who need to socialise and interact with others over a cup of coffee.
The success of The Parish Open House relies solely on the people involved in providing a safe and friendly environment for patrons. Maureen has been instrumental in helping Open House reach its goals. Maureen’s volunteering began with the collection of food from Food Bank. Unpacking and handing out food provided Maureen the opportunity to provide moral support for the people in the South Melbourne area who were lonely and often destitute.
Maureen’s experiences at The Parish Open House helped her identify three years ago, that there were many more people in need of a regular cooked meal as well as the opportunity for companionship, friendship and developing self esteem by interaction with others. Solely, she embarked on the service of providing evening meals on Monday, Tuesday and breakfast on Wednesday, insisting they would be free to anyone in need.
Supported with the encouragement from Fr Bob Maguire AM RFD, Parish Priest of Sts Peter and Paul’s, South Melbourne, Maureen took it upon herself to introduce and run this highly successful program. Shortly after its introduction, numbers at Maureen’s meal program rapidly reached between 60 and 80 patrons daily. The success of this project relies entirely on Maureen’s confidence, unselfish dedication and genuine care for the South Melbourne marginalised.
Not only Maureen provide patrons with food and an opportunity to interact with others, she also encourages them to participate in the preparation, cooking and cleaning up, enhancing their self esteem and providing them with a sense of purpose, belonging and pride.
A pensioner and suffering with osteoarthritis, a hernia and emphysema, Maureen does not drive, but walks to Coles every day to purchase supplies for the next meal, relying on the aid of her shopping trolley as she is severely stooped. While Maureen has significant health issues, she is unfailingly reliable and will only miss hosting a meal if she is very sick. She is the only person who provides meals on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and is very committed to her responsibility for people who have come to rely on these mealtimes.
The main source of demand began with food parcel handouts. Due to the success of Maureen’s meals, this demand has significantly decreased. The healthy meals sustain patrons and offer social interaction with others who are in a situation similar to their own, helping them realise they are not isolated. Maureen understood from experience that there were many lonely people living in South Melbourne, surviving on welfare. They would eat alone in their own home, having no contact or interaction with others. Unselfishly, she decided to make a change to their lives, and succeeded tremendously, admirably and without ever looking for or expecting recognition.
While selflessly ignoring her own health issues and always thinking and looking for the next project she can to undertake to improve peoples’ lives, Maureen is a familiar South Melbourne local and countless have benefited from her advice, friendship and kindness.
We nominate Maureen Johnston for an Order of Australia award for the wonderful work she continues to do and the impact she has made on this local community. Her loyalty, commitment and dedication to the marginalised group in South Melbourne is amazing and inspiring. Struggling in her own right, Maureen assists her daughter, who is on a disability pension and unable to look after herself or her son. Maureen is solely raising her 16 year old grandson and she still has time for her enormous and ongoing commitment to others in need. She has the admiration of all who know her.
Maureen has never been nominated for an award and has never been acknowledged for her dedication to community work. I believe she is very deserving of formal recognition as she stands out as a person with a passion for helping people get their lives back in order with encouragement and without judgement.
Bob Maguire on behalf of Parishioners
Good one Fr Bob,
Maureen sounds like a decent and appreciated community giver. Very nice that you offered her this last bit of respect, and I hope her family keep your words as a lifetime treasured memory.
Deb
Posted by: Deb | May 24, 2008 at 01:46 AM
What a wonderful woman.
Posted by: Mariana Green | May 24, 2008 at 04:01 PM
Bob,
Well done on honouring the life, determination, and hard work of Maureen. She won't be forgotten easily.
Michaela
Posted by: Michaela | May 25, 2008 at 04:48 PM
Her legacy will be around for many many years to come. A true woman of valour and unselfishness.
Posted by: henri Ser | May 26, 2008 at 10:03 PM