Together We Thrive – Celebrating Family Week at CCV
At CCV, we walk alongside families every day—providing services that strengthen relationships, support mental health, and help people through crisis.
Family Week has been a part of CatholicCare Victoria’s work since the mid-80s when founders, Norma Parker and Connie Moffit, saw the need for an integrated approach to working with families. Thanks to their approach, in our first year of operation as the Catholic Social Services Bureau, 600 children were connected with families and kept out of orphanages.
Strong and healthy families are the foundation of thriving communities. They influence the wellbeing of every individual and shape the broader social fabric we all belong to. Family and community are deeply connected—two sides of the same coin.
This year’s National Families Week theme, “Lending a hand to thrive: supporting each other”, highlights the importance of connection, care, and resilience within families. It’s an opportunity to reflect on the strength of family bonds, reconnect with loved ones, and embrace activities that bring us together.
No matter what family looks like for you, let’s celebrate the power of support and the difference we can make for each other.
At CatholicCare Victoria, we walk alongside families every day—providing services that strengthen relationships, support mental health, and help people through crisis. Because when families thrive, communities thrive too.
What is Family Week?
Real stories of care and courage
Every story reflects resilience and hope:
- Mason’s Story
When our team first visited Mason* at home, the scene was heartbreaking. Through our homelessness and mental health services, Mason found stability and a path forward. - Joey’s Story
At just nine years old, Joey* faced complex challenges no child should have to endure. Thanks to school counselling and tailored family support, he’s now thriving.
How we’ve made a difference
So far in the 2024/25 financial year, CatholicCare Victoria has:
- Supported 13,956 families across the state
- Delivered over 4,300 counselling sessions for individuals facing mental health challenges, relationship breakdown and family violence
- Delivered a 50% increase in our Emergency Relief services to help meet cost of living demands
We work with families dealing with:
- Financial hardship and unemployment
- Mental and physical health challenges
- Relationship and parenting difficulties
- The lasting effects of trauma and marginalisation
But with the right support and someone to walk beside them, families can find strength and stability.
Donate to help families thrive
Your support helps us provide critical services to families in need across Victoria. Whether it’s through counselling, food relief, or housing support—you can make a difference to a family in need.
Family Week activities
- Schools – Register for Family Week and receive free resources to get students thinking about family, belonging and how they can offer support.
- Ballarat – A free movie night organised by CCV’s Family Services team. Allocation exhausted.
- SEEN – A ParentTV Documentary that reminds us what it means to truly see, hear and support the children in our lives.
Thank you to the schools have gone above and beyond, organising raffles and walkathons, with all proceeds going directly to support CCV families in need.
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