January eNews - A New Hope…
A New Hope...
A message from SHA's Craig Exon.
So here we are at the beginning of a New Year with new beginnings. In fact, all too quickly this first month has raced by, and with it precious time spent on things both important and unimportant… yet all significant on this clean slate that is 2024.
A clean slate on which to craft the next part of our story into the narrative of life. We can tend to overstate this… the importance and impact of this. But the reality is that we each want desperately to make an impact. For our actions, our work, our thoughts, and our passions to make a positive impact in our world whether in our professional sphere, or our personal spirituality, or our family life… of course being aware that all those aspects of our world are intertwined and woven together to make the picture of our life at this moment in time.
As is well known across the sector, at present SHA is at a funding crossroads, and despite our constant advocacy for funding, our state government has not reversed their decision. We continue to push for understanding and answers regarding this issue, as well as looking to alternative sources of funding for SHA to continue to function and exist. Thank you to those who have continued to advocate on our behalf to local MP’s. It has not fallen on deaf ears, and many of those who you have contacted have spoken directly to the Health Minister and Premier.
Amid all this, we are eagerly exploring new partnerships and we are making significant progress in the development of a fresh new membership model. (Stay tuned for updates on these exciting initiatives!). We continue to push on in our business as usual, planning for the many aspects of our SHA year, with the Mental Health Network, SHLEAC, SCMN and piloting the National Model all continuing in our focus for 2024.
And so, we go onwards in hope… Hope that our way forward in advocating for best practice spiritual care can continue, and that our best efforts for new funding models can come to fruition. Hope that what we continue to build within SHA can make a lasting impact, and hope that you each who are reading this can continue to feel supported and championed in the roles that you play in the spirituality sphere of influence.
With hope in mind, I invite you to meditate on these words from Emily Dickinson that our Bookkeeper – and resident poet – Reza Homan, shared with us so aptly a few months ago…
“Hope” is the thing with feathers
BY EMILY DICKINSON
“Hope” is the thing with feathers -
That perches in the soul -
And sings the tune without the words -
And never stops - at all -
And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard -
And sore must be the storm -
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm -
I’ve heard it in the chillest land -
And on the strangest Sea -
Yet - never - in Extremity,
It asked a crumb - of me.
Craig Exon – Acting CEO
Cheryl Holmes returns from her long service leave on 1st February.