Documentaries

Volunteering, Kiosk and Kindness

Students from Marcellin College are making a difference by serving at the kiosk of the Matthew Talbot Hostel before and after school. Chris Shields, the College’s Director of Faith and Mission, says the experience teaches students about service, kindness, and non-judgment. And kiosk customers – that connecting with the student volunteers gives them hope.

Purple Shirts are Changing Conversations around Domestic and Family Violence for the better.

An innovative campaign called ‘Purple Shirt Friday’ has changed the atmosphere at Revesby Worker’s Club, helping both staff and club patrons to feel safer, and more willing to talk about the problem of domestic and family violence.

Club CEO, Scott Bennetts, says the initiative is impacting not only staff and members, but also the wider community.

Escabags: Helping Victims Escape Domestic Violence

The most dangerous time for domestic violence victims is when trying to escape the abuse.

Escabags was founded by Stacy Jane, and provides ‘escape bags’ equipped with essential items so people don’t have to go back home for supplies. Over the past 5 years, 23,000 bags have been distributed, helping women, children, and men to escape abuse more safely.

Lost Children of Jonglei Scholarships

“For those children, no one can put them through school … they don’t have support anywhere else. When I set up this one so they can go to school, they get health care, they live in a good environment where they’re studying … education is the key of everything,” says Aduk Dau, founder of Lost Children of Jonglei Scholarships.

This week, we join Aduk Dau at her Women's Afternoon Tea fundraiser and see the inspiring story about her passion to provide secondary school education to vulnerable South Sudanese youth, displaced by civil war and living as refugees in Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya.

How Vision Radio answers the call to connect rural Australia

“I like the isolation, but I also am a social person,” shares 76-year-old Alison Gray. “I have the radio on most of the time – on my phone. I just have it in the background, and it helps, it encourages me – lifts my spirits up.” 

In this episode of Helping Hands, we join Alison on her property in outback Queensland to see how Vision Radio provides authentic and meaningful connection for those who keep our country running in some of the most isolated places.

Learning about Australian Indigenous culture on Boigu Island

Located in the northernmost tip of Queensland’s Torres Strait Islands and just six kilometres from Papua New Guinea, Boigu Island is where Laurel was born and raised, among idyllic natural beauty, within the love and strength of her indigenous culture and community. 

“For me, growing up on Boigu Island was like living in heaven on earth”, says indigenous evangelist, Laurel Pabai. 

A Very Aussie Christmas

As a broadcaster reaching towns and cities in every corner of Australia, Vision Media is in a unique position at Christmas time. Rise and Shine breakfast radio presenters, Fel Limmer and Andy McLennan, invite listeners from the city to the bush to share the ways they celebrate Christmas.

Operation Christmas Child - the gifts that keep on giving

“Operation Christmas Child is a really tangible, hands-on way that Australians can show love to kids in need around the world,” say Leanne Palmer from Operation Christmas Child.

In this special episode of Helping Hands, we’ll see the wonderful people, passion and purpose behind Operation Christmas Child and journey alongside their work as they coordinate Samaritan Purse’s annual Australia/New Zealand gift-giving initiative.

More than Four Walls and a Roof: The Women’s Housing Company

For over forty years, the Women’s Housing Company has been helping women and children on the brink of homelessness, often due to a need to escape domestic violence. As well as providing housing, Women’s Housing Company offer extensive support services to help families rebuild their lives.

Ending the cycle of violence with KYUP! power

Incidents of violence against women are sadly growing. In Australia this year alone, horrendous statistics show us that more than one woman has been killed every week through domestic violence.

This is what makes the work of the KYUP! Project even more important, and it’s what drives the passion of its founder, Mel Thomas. Created to break the cycle of family and domestic violence at its grassroots, the initiative is fast becoming Australia’s premier violence and prevention empowerment program for teens.

Changing children's lives, one shoebox at a time

“The kid that’s receiving this gift, that was us twenty years ago … We were kids in a country that was going through war. We received it, and it truly did mean a lot to us,” says Lina, an Operation Christmas Child volunteer. 

Operation Christmas Child - giving gifts of hope this Christmas

“I’ve done shoeboxes since my kids were little – they’re now in their twenties. But I came to the warehouse one day and I looked and thought, this really is an operation – called Operation Christmas Child – and I’m volunteering and realising the magnitude of what can be done,” says Operation Christmas Child volunteer, Jo Lawrance. 

The BIG Difference of Little Communities

In this episode of Helping Hands, we see the Little BIG House breaking through the barriers of loneliness and isolation, and creating deep and meaningful community connections.

“The Little BIG House is our neighbourhood hub,” says Sarah Mathews, CEO of the Little BIG Foundation. "It’s a place where people come together. We have ninety events a month." Everything is based around creating connection and meeting your neighbours and bringing people together.

Showing love through the generosity of gifts at Christmas

“Operation Christmas Child is a really tangible, hands-on way that Australians can show love to kids in need around the world,” say Leanne Palmer from Operation Christmas Child. 

It’s a hot day in north-western Sydney. Leanne is overseeing the busy activity at the Operation Christmas Child warehouse, from which Samaritan’s Purse coordinates its annual Australia/New Zealand charitable gift-giving initiative.

An Aussie with a Turban and a Beard

Amar Singh established Turbans 4 Australia in 2015 to provide aid relief to people across Australia, and to promote multiculturalism and religious tolerance.

Since calling Australia home as a teenager, Amar has experienced racism, abuse and discrimination, and was once told by a co-worker that he looked like a terrorist because of his turban.

Amar used this experience for good.