Giving people hope

Margaret Gearon is a social justice advocate and has worn many hats (or should I say berets) within the St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria specifically within our social justice, advocacy and social policy areas.

On 20 February 2025 as part of the World Day of Social Justice, we featured Margaret because of her dedication to the pursuit of a fairer and more equitable world.

For Margaret, social justice is about more than just helping—it’s about giving people the confidence and tools to take control of their own lives.

"We encourage people to take control of their own destiny. All our work is focused on giving hope – a small glimmer of light – to people who are experiencing disadvantage or are vulnerable. With our help, they are able to move forward and take control of their lives, even in just a small way," she says.

A few years ago, Margaret worked with a woman who had sustained a workplace back injury and could no longer work. The woman would put her bills away in a drawer, unopened. This led to a huge backlog of arrears and she was at risk of her services being cut off.

Margaret visited her with two other local conference members, sat down with her and said: “We’re here to help.” They were able to clear her most urgent bills and ensure her services weren’t cut off.

“We realised that while she was being pressured to find work, it was very clear she wouldn’t be able to,” said Margaret.

“So, we helped her apply for a Disability Support Pension through writing letters to Centrelink and the Minister and paying for her medical assessments.”

“One day, she rang me in tears. She’d received a letter saying she wasn’t eligible for the pension. I told her not to give up. We’ll try again. The very next day she received another letter. She’d been granted the Disability Support Pension.”

The support received from Margaret and her local St Vincent de Paul Society members was life changing.

On World Day of Social Justice, we thank Margaret and all our volunteers and members for their daily dedication to helping people reclaim and rebuild their lives, and fostering a more just, compassionate society.

#HelpingOthers #SocialJustice #CommunitySupport #WorldDayofSocialJustice