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B A L L A R A T

Compassionate Heroes Ballarat

compassionballarat@gmail.com www.compassionateballarat.com.au

Preface

Introduction - Eliza & Chloe

Preface I ntroduction

Compassion has been defined as the willingness to see the humanity and suffering in others, including those not like us, with a preparedness to take action to heal that suffering.

As part of the Loreto College year 12 religious education curriculum, Compassionate Ballarat collaborated with two year 12 students, Eliza & Chloe, to compile stories of compassionate action initiated by primary and secondary school students across Ballarat. Chloe and Eliza gathered stories of their peers, who have actively responded to su ering they have encountered in amazing ways.

The stories in this book have been collected and will be shared across our city, to cities across Australia and the world via the global Charter for Compassion.

The new science of compassion tells us that compassionate action supports us in being helpful rather than harmful, and assembling these individual stories provide a community-wide story of the ways in which compassion is being demonstrated in Ballarat by this City’s future adults.

We are Eliza and Chloe, two year 12 students from Loreto College Ballarat and we have teamed up with Compassionate Ballarat to bring together the Compassionate Heroes Book.

As part of our RE class this year, we were given the opportunity to volunteer in the community, hoping to make a di erence after what has been a challenging time for so many. When we ﬁrst heard about Compassionate Ballarat, we thought it was a great initiative and really admired the impact they were having in the Ballarat community.

In the midst of COVID-19 and its impact on the Ballarat region, we have seen ﬁrst hand the challenges that have been presented to the community, so when this project was proposed to us, we thought that it could have a really positive impact on the community. The stories in this eBook have meant so much to everyone involved in them, and we hope that by collating and sharing them we can spread a sense of hope and positivity about the future. This project has also proven to us that you should never underestimate the impact of a kind action, no matter how small. It's been a really great experience to see how many young people are carrying out compassionate acts in Ballarat. We’re so grateful to have this opportunity to work with the team at Compassionate Ballarat and are excited to see the impact these stories will have.

The Importance of Stories

stories tell us who we are

Stories tell us who we are. From the time we are young, grandparents, parents, aunts, and uncles regale us with tales from the family past . Filled with feats of endurance and survival, tragedy and celebration, these stories ground us in the wonder of our shared lives. They also become part of our individual lives, shared connections resonating deep within us. Some of these we carry forward into our futures; others we choose to leave behind. And from this place we go on to write our own life story, ﬁlled with its own joys, sorrows, hopes and fears. At some point on this journey, we will look deeper into ourselves and explore our motivations and secret longings. The time and profundity is di erent for each of us. And from this exploration we calibrate the personal story we then tell our children and grandchildren. From childhood to maturity, we absorb, learn and create. At times we struggle and the road ahead is fraught, but wisdom waits behind every

experience. We are the heroes of our own stories. In our individual ways we continue the millennia-old tradition of The Hero’s Journey. It has always been this way.

Many books have been written about The Hero’s Journey. One of the most notable of these is Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Campbell sets the hero’s journey out in stages. He/she can come from any culture or ethnicity. They might be young or old. They might face physical, mental, or emotional challenges. And, crucially, their journeys of challenge and discovery might be either a physical quest through landscape, or a quest to clarify an unresolved aspect of the inner self.

All these journeys start with a call. The protagonist is in a safe, everyday world but something nags at his/her consciousness. If the call is heeded, there follows an extended period of tests and trials as the hero weaves an unsteady path towards a goal. Of course, there are often allies and even mentors, who assist and guide. But almost always there is the darkest point when the hero and the challenge face o before, once again, moving inexorably towards the ﬁnal goal.

One of the earliest and most well-known hero’s journey is Homer’s The Odyssey; the epic journey of Odysseus from the Trojan War around 1300 BC to his home on the island of Ithaca.

Odysseus battles the gods, elements and monsters in a tale that climaxes when he makes a journey to the Underworld to discover how best to make his way home. Odysseus eventually reaches Ithaca, but then undergoes a further domestic battle before life with wife Penelope can resume.

Homer’s tale took place over three and a half thousand years ago, and was originally delivered in oral form. A rapt audience listened intently as a bard told of “the wine-dark sea” and “young Dawn with her rose-red ﬁngers”, using such tropes as anchors in a feat of bardic recitation. The Odyssey contains 12,109 lines!

The Odyssey is an epic on a monumental scale, but our journeys are no less important. Jump forward to 2021 and we are still undergoing journeys of discovery and return. Our libraries are filled with books that tell stories. During lunch breaks and over the dinner table we tell of the small and large events in our daily lives. Some are drawn to write a novel, a memoir, or the biography of another. In every fairytale, Disney film, or film or series aimed at a more mature audience we see The Hero’s Journey acted out repeatedly.

Our personal lives echo The Hero’s Journey in multiple ways; the grand, overarching journey from life to

death, the beginning and end of our school journeys, our working lives, our lives as partners or parents.

The stories in this book are no less than hero’s tales. Each of the contributors heard a call but, more importantly, they heeded their call and became a catalyst for change. The stories celebrate what is uplifting and important in life. They demonstrate compassion in action; observation and active listening recognizing and then addressing needs and concerns. The theologian Richard Rohr who established The Centre for Action and Contemplation places great emphasis on the need for action. That is why “action” comes before “contemplation” in his title. Right thinking might help us to understand, but in itself will not e ect change in the world. By heeding and acting on the call, the writers of the stories in this book undertook their own hero’s journey, one which then spiralled outwards and created positive change.

The Covid-19 pandemic can be equated to a hero’s challenge. The pandemic has power, but we have equal power. In small and large ways we can step outside our comfort zones and move against this and any force that challenges us. In so doing we learn and we teach others. We exchange and we share our hard-won knowledge.

We reach forward in a spirit of collaborative compassion.

© Dr Karen Sparnon

Ailish - Spreading Sunshine Letters to the Homeless

What suffering did you see?

I saw homeless people sleeping on the side of the street, looking cold and lonely all by themselves. I could not understand why people were walking past, without even looking at them.

What prompted you to take this action?

After saw people sleeping on the street, I thought about it for a few weeks. I thought it would be really sad to feel

so alone. I wanted to do something to show homeless people that other people did care about them.

What action did you take?

talked to my family about ways could help homeless people to know other people did care about them. visited some places that help homeless people, and then I started to write some letters. asked my family, friends and teachers if they would like to write a letter too. I began to collect letters and I took them to the Soup bus and the Shower bus for homeless people. asked my dad to build a letter box to collect letters at school, and we painted it yellow. I called them ‘Sunshine Letters’ because the sun makes you feel warm and happy.

What difference did that make to you?

It makes me feel really happy when I see people smiling, or sometimes with tears of happiness when they receive a letter. It’s nice to see that a small letter makes a di erence in their day.

What difference did that make to those who received?

think people who receive a sunshine letter know there are people out there who care about them. I know it makes a di erence to how they feel, many homeless people have said thank you.

Matilda Creating a magazine to help others

researching, found out that the Big Issue is sold by people who are homeless or disadvantaged. These people have experienced di culties in their lives, which has made it hard for them to earn money for living expenses.

What prompted you to take this action?

I was inspired by the idea behind The Big Issue but knew that this magazine was for adult readers. I thought there should be a kid-friendly magazine that helped others and informed kids about important issues. love that The Big Issue supports people who are homeless and I wanted my magazine to do the same.

What

action did you take?

After gaining support from peers and teachers at my school, Emmaus Catholic Primary School, began the journey of creating The Little Issue, a social justice magazine for kids. I became editor and have had contributions from lots of other kids and some adults.

The Little Issue features social and environmental justice stories, puzzles, craft, and interviews nearly all written by kids, for kids. There is a special section called ‘Never Too Young To Change The World’ which features kids making a di erence in their communities.

What difference did that make to you?

I started The Little Issue in 2018 when I was eight years old. I have been grateful for the help of others to get my idea o the ground. People have been so kind and always willing to help the magazine. I have learned a lot through this process and feel very proud that I can make a di erence in the world, even if it is in a small way.

What difference did that make to those who received?

We sell The Little Issue for $5 a copy. There have been four editions so far. All the proceeds go directly to The Soup Bus in Ballarat. The Soup Bus provides meals for the homeless and disadvantaged members of the Ballarat community. They also support young people to go to school through a scholarship program. feel so happy that I can help these people.

Rubi - Going Pink for Cancer

Research

What action did you take?

On Wednesday the 27th June, 2021, coloured my hair pink as part of my pledge for the #go pink campaign in June to raise money for The National Breast Cancer Foundation. I wanted to gain as much awareness as could and even though it went against the schools rules to come to school with coloured hair, I talked to the principle about my project and they agreed to make an exception to the rule, if I chose the last day of term. I was happy to do this and happy I could raise the greatest amount of awareness.

What difference did that make to you?

It meant the money had raised was going to make a change and I had achieved my goal of making a di erence.

What difference did that make to those who received?

The money raised goes towards research into early detection and preventative treatments for breast cancer, which is vital to increasing survival rates and helping The National Breast Cancer Foundation step closer to their goal: zero deaths from breast cancer by 2030.

Sadie - Standing up to be a Mini Vinnies Leader

Will & SadieCreating Christmas cards for Aged Care Residents

need to live.

They looked so worried about what would happen to them and that’s what made me want to give them and their families a hand.

What prompted you to take this action?

Just seeing the people around me su er made me think “right, I’m going to help them however can even if it’s di cult for me.”

What action did you take?

I decided to try and get the job of being a Mini Vinnies leader at school, and I got it. I wanted to reach out to those in need by running fundraisers and getting others in our community to donate.

What difference did that make to you?

Helping them made such a di erence to my life. It made me be so much more grateful for everything and everyone I have. It also encouraged me to be the best and most positive person I could possibly be.

What difference did that make to those who received?

It made them very happy that people really wanted to help them and support them to succeed in life.

We got all the students in our class to make Christmas cards and then we delivered them to people living in

What difference did that make to you?

It makes me feel happy because we helped people not

I could see they were happy. They had smiles on their faces, and they felt like someone cared about them.

Ethan - Making C OVID Masks for Aged Care

What suffering did you see?

Initially I was concerned about my Nanna contracting Covid 19 and voiced my concerns at

What concern did you have?

As a shortage of masks loomed, l had a heightened awareness of Ballarat's most disadvantaged and homeless accessing or a ording a simple but life

So the decision was easy - free homemade masks.

What prompted you to take this action?

The enormity of Covid 19 and those marginalised or disadvantaged weighed heavily. I understood the power of generosity and the ripple e ect it creates. decided to focus my energy on making the lives of

What

action did you take?

From a young age I was tau ght 'every problem has a solution' I was eager to take action and make Nanna a reusable face mask. So consulted YouTube and taught myself the basics of sewing. I was also concerned and determined to help keep Ballarat’s disadvantaged and homeless safe as well. So rallied a couple of helpers and kept sewing until those in need received a free reusable face mask. I then wrote letters to local businesses who graciously donated mini bottles of hand sanitiser and chocolate. (Not only does it taste sooo good, but chocolate is scientiﬁcally proven to produce feelings of happiness). Each person received a bag containing a personalised note, mask, mini sanitiser and chocolate.

What difference did that make to you?

When I made kindness part of my daily life, discovered how little e ort it took. Giving from an open heart is as much a gift for the giver as it is for the receiver. Within us we have the ability to show

kindness to a stranger by a simple gesture. Little gifts of thought can transform a person’s day and potentially their life when kindness is part of it. This has always been my personal experience. realised I had the ability to create change rather than focusing on myself and my challenges in life.

I may be one, but connecting with others, simply shining more light in the world - can make a beautiful di erence.

‘Together we can change the world.’

What difference did that make to those

who

received?

Seniors have given so much of their lives to helping others, so think they were surprised and appreciative that a young person was thinking of them and concerned about their safety and well-being. The masks in the care package were distributed anonymously to the most vulnerable within the community in order to protect their privacy. I hope all the recipients felt loved and protected and felt as much joy as did.

Breeanna - Coaching through COVID

What suffering did you see?

Due to the coronavirus lockdown, basketball was not able to go ahead and saw many school students ﬁtness decrease due to the lack of both equipment and guidance they would usually get from a coach or from their teammates. Lots of my students in particular were upset to not be playing which led me to feel sad for them. This was the moment I knew could do something.

What prompted you to take this action?

Seeing them upset and miserable over not being able to come to training and socialise with myself and their teammates made me feel sad and upset also. It’s my job to keep up their skills and have a good time. I realized lockdown didn't need to stop me doing my job, especially when had things like video calls and social media to do so.