Youth and schools

The St Vincent de Paul Society – Tasmania has a highly active youth program in all three regions of the State. Every year, hundreds of young people get involved with activities that help their communities and offer opportunities for personal and spiritual growth. Vinnies Youth is as much about having fun, meeting new people, and making new friends, as it is about helping the less fortunate.

Vinnies Youth is a term given to young adult members and volunteers of St Vincent de Paul Society. Getting involved in Vinnies Youth is about putting faith in action. Vinnies Youth offers a number of opportunities to serve people in your local community. These include: Kids Days Out, Buddy Camps, Home Visitation, Tutoring and Mentoring, Vinnies Shops, Soup Vans, and even school’s engagement.

One common way people get involved in Vinnies Youth is by joining a conference – a group of vibrant and talented people, who meet regularly to plan activities, reflect on social justice, pray, and support each other in the work they do. The St Vincent de Paul Society started when a young man of just 20 years of age decided to do something about the poverty he saw in his community in Paris, France. Today, Vinnies works with young people across the world, Australia, and Tasmania to continue this legacy and the fight for a more just and compassionate society.

From primary school, through high school, university, and beyond, the Society offers young people the opportunity to learn, reflect, and make a difference in their community. By taking part, you’ll be joining hundreds of school and youth groups across Australia working alongside Vinnies to grow the next generation of social justice advocates, and you’ll be supporting the direct work Vinnies does day-in-day-out to help those in our community who need it most.

Opportunity

There is always an opportunity to learn about getting involved with the St Vincent de Paul Society and one of our youth or schools’ programs. Please contact our Vinnies Youth team leaders in your region.

• Southern Region – Simon Terhell (03) 6234 4244
• Northern Region – Erin Worth (03) 6333 0822
• North-West – Nicci Skerl (03) 6435 2323.

You can also contact the Vinnies Youth team via the Contact Us page.

Buddy Programs

The St Vincent de Paul Society’s Buddy Programs are a free community engagement
program designed to give families support by providing their children (aged 6-13) with
a fun day out. The ‘Little Buddies’ are paired with a mentor; ‘Big Buddy’ for the day
who participate in the activities alongside to ensure that activities are safe, fun and a
great learning experience.

Our events consist of a fun day out with a focus on growing children’s self esteem,
sense of belonging and and resilience.

Buddy Days:
Our Buddy Days run between 2-3 times per year at a variety of locations.

Annual Children’s Christmas Fun Day
Our Christmas Fun Day runs in December each year, providing children with a joyous
Christmas experience.

For more information or to register your interest for a future event please Contact Us.
Depending on the location, we generally have a maximum capacity of 35 Little Buddies (+ 35 Big Buddies).