Conscience on Collins 2013: “I have a dream…”

Last month Urban Seed teamed up with Collins Street Baptist Church to put on the annual Conscience on Collins. Over 300 people came out to hear Adam Bandt (Melbourne MP), Jessie Taylor (Barrister & Refugee Advocate) and Father Bob (Activist & Larrikin Priest) tell us their dreams for this city and society. So compelling were the speeches, that they inspired many other dreams as well. Like this one:Well I have a dream. My dream is that I don’t have to come to Credo for food, but that I can come when I want, and I can give money to Credo.

These were the words of Sash, one of our two female members of Credo Team. She is also part of the Credo Women’s Space project. Sash is studying a business degree, and aims to start her own business. She is also a talented visual artist. Sash was busy catering for Conscience on Collins, along with the rest of Credo Team, who are all members of the community that shares food and life in Credo Café.

Sash has a dream of finding her feet so that she is not dependent on Credo Café, but can give back to it. But what Sash may not realise is that without her, Credo would not be the place that it is. Sash is an invaluable contributor to Credo Team, which prepared and served delicious food for our 300+ guests at Conscience on Collins. Sash also blesses us with her inspiring artwork, and has offered invaluable assistance in the Urban Seed office. It will be great when she does have a choice as to whether or not to eat in Credo Café, but she already gives in so many ways.

Thank you to everybody who made Conscience on Collins such a fabulous event.

 

Check out our fundraiser: HELP BRING A BOWL TO THE TABLE

Each week hundreds of people come to Credo Cafe – the homeless, the disadvantaged, university students, office workers and professionals gather together to enjoy a home-style meal in a homely environment. We need $1500 to make new bowls for Credo so please share this post on your Facebook, etc!

Donations can be made through http://pozible.com/bringabowltothetable.

Do you ever feel scared or uncomfortable in Credo?

Credo Cafe is one of Urban Seed’s most special places. It’s where we share lunch with people from all walks of life and a place where we are all the same. Students often ask us questions about whether we feel safe in credo. Here is a response from Stephen Said.. but before that, here’s a little about Stephen (info from www.urbanseed.org)

Stephen Said, Residential & Community Engagement Co-ordinator

Stephen is a husband, a dad, and a foundation member of the Melbourne Heart Football Club. He works in the area of activism and social change as an educator, activist, speaker, writer and community development worker.  Stephen is particularly interested in radical spirituality, incarnational community and the dynamics of personal and social transformation and you can read more about this on his blog. He has helped many think about the nexus between the issues of justice, poverty, consumerism and discipleship in the context of popular global culture.

Question: Do you ever feel scared or uncomfortable in Credo?

Stephen: I often feel uncomfortable and scared. Often when I am close to someone who might be suffering some kind of mental illness, I feel both. It’s hard because I think about all those reports on the news about people with mental illnesses hurting or harming members of the public.

However, the longer I spend in Credo, I realise that not only have I never been threatened, but I have never seen someone threatened by a person with a mental illness in Credo.

If I keep thinking about it, I realise that a lot of my fears are based upon media reports that really are not very accurate at all. So these days, when I find myself feeling uncomfortable or afraid, I try to ask myself “Is the source of my fear/discomfort real, or something the media/broader pop culture taught me?”

It’s a hard discipline to practice, but when I do, it really helps me to actually be more open to the people who are around me, rather than being frightened by culturally constructed stereotypes.

Thanks for sharing Stephen!!

Have your say :: Student voices

Reflection by Mitch Lovell :: Year 9 :: Bentleigh Secondary College
On friday we went to the city to learn about an organisation called urban seed. The organisation helps homeless people and drug addicts.

They talked about different types of homelesness . I learnt that being homeless doesnt always mean you’re a hobo living out of garbage cans. She explained how they gave out free meals to anyone. They do this so the homeless people could eat if they needed to and it also helps the homeless community socialise with business people they see walk past everyday. They do this because when the business person sees the homeless person (after they have shared a meal together and talked) they dont see him as a hobo, they see him as that guy john they had lunch with the day before.

They also run another program where anyone can come and play laneway cricket. The reason for cricket is not only for homeless and non homeless people to interact; its also so people can have a sense of belonging and to feel that they have achieved something.

I think going to urban seed was a great experience and it taught me alot of stuff i didnt know about homelesness.

Can you help? 

A big part of Credo (the space where we provide a free lunch) are the bowls that we eat off.  We have a long tradition of inviting the Credo community to hand decorate the bowls that we eat off, thus creating a sense of ownership. Sadly though these bowls often break.  

We are calling on YOU  and your school to either make us some new bowls in your art class that we can then decorate, or to help fundraise the provision of these.  

Can you help? If so email us – Blythe Toll.