The second greatest commandment
Words: Paul Rubessa If you read through the gospel of Matthew, by the time you arrive at chapter 22, the influence of Jesus’ earthly ministry is growing. He has ridden into Jerusalem on a donkey with believers laying cloaks and branches on the road and shouting, “Hosanna to the son of David, blessed is He […]
Mia’s Story
Mia has always been community minded and service driven. Having grown up in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Mia knew about ADRA. And so, within months of moving to Brisbane with her husband and two children, she reached out to the local ADRA Community Centre in Logan and began to volunteer there. Life in Brisbane was […]
Tyson’s Story
At 21 years old, the cycle of alcohol abuse, drug use, and declining mental health seemed inescapable for Tyson. A couple of years ago Tyson was living a normal life. He had a full time job, a loving family, and a healthy relationship with his girlfriend. But gradually, his life began to unravel. “I started […]
Official opening of Zen-sory Space and Play Area
On a cheerful and sunny afternoon, Mallee Rose Cottage – the ADRA Community Centre in Macquarie Fields – officially opened its new Zen-sory Space and Play Area. For the past six years, Mallee Rose Cottage has been a refuge for families in Macquarie Fields. With services ranging from counselling to food parcels to support groups, […]
Hidden Gems in the Mitcham Op Shop
The Mitcham ADRA Op shop is a humble store located on the outskirts of Melbourne selling various clothing and household items to shoppers. Those who come into the store are welcomed by the store’s manager Marina Wirenski and the volunteers that help keep the store in order. Marina promotes meeting the needs of those who […]
The global impact of ADRA’s reach
ADRA Australia is part of a global network and has offices all over the world. In Australia alone, we partner with 11 countries. Often we focus on what ADRA Australia has done within our borders and through these partner countries. But this means we can easily forget how far ADRA reaches across the world. A […]
Paul’s Heart for Service
The first year anniversary for the ADRA Op Shop in Chinchilla has been bitter-sweet. As the Op Shop volunteers celebrated one year of offering help to the local community on 26 June 2019, they were missing a very important volunteer who has been instrumental in the start-up and success of the ADRA Op Shop – […]
A Life of Service
Maxine Abblott always wanted an active and meaningful retirement. For the last eight years, she has maintained a busy but happy lifestyle by volunteering for ADRA. Maxine started out by helping a few people every week, but now she is helping more than 200 people per week. “I’m an on-the-ground type of person,” Maxine says. “I […]
A sanctuary in the heart of Blacktown
In the heart of Blacktown, perched above the hustle and bustle of commuters pouring out of the train station, lies the ADRA Blacktown Community Centre. For over a decade, a dedicated team of mostly volunteers have been serving their local community by meeting their greatest physical and emotional needs. The ADRA Blacktown Centre is most […]
An hour in their shoes
This post was originally written for and published by the Adventist Record. A few years ago I attended Voices for Justice, an annual event organised by Micah Australia. Its purpose: to inspire, train and equip Christians to speak with federal politicians about global poverty. As the years have passed, the exact details of the weekend in Canberra […]