The Work We Do Is Done By People Who Care
- 15 hours ago
- 2 min read
People who care for our elders, for our children, for our communities.
But in a world where the demand for social services perpetually outstrips the resources to support them, the hardest expression of care can be care for ourselves. Our motivation to get out of bed in the morning is a passion for helping others, and a willingness to make personal sacrifices for the benefit of those around us, pushing aside the needs we don’t have the time or energy to attend to until one morning we just…can’t. Can’t get out of bed, can’t ignore our own needs any longer, and by now we’re so deep in burnout we can’t be sure how to address them.
The Sexual Violence Prevention Community of Practice was originally conceived of by members of VSAC and Good Night Out’s prevention teams, who recognized the need in our work not just for education and training but also spaces to connect beyond the work we do; to unwind and relax together, to share food and drink with each other and to be reminded that we are not alone. Not only does the work that we do matter, the people who do it matter.
The Community of Practice’s third meeting this year served as a mission statement in action, inviting members of numerous different organizations around Victoria who work in sexual violence prevention to gather outside of the offices and away from the computers under the sun and shade of the beautiful trees in Beacon Hill Park. We set aside our expectations of endless productivity, our busy work schedules and our shoes, trading them for freshly sliced mangoes and the company of peers.
Creating Space for Connection
A picnic in the park may be an unconventional setting for a meeting to discuss the work we do, but it makes perfect sense as a space to discuss with the people we do this work with. The sentiment that has been voiced again and again in the process of developing this Community of Practice is that so many folks who work in violence prevention end up feeling as though they are working alone. Many of us do find ourselves working alone. The need for connection is real, and the desire for more than just trading business cards but really getting to see the people we work alongside and to be seen by them.
